Best's Great Western

Best's Great Western was founded in 1866 by Henry Best, an English-born butcher and pastoralist who purchased land along Concongella Creek in the Grampians foothills of Western Victoria. Best planted his first vines in 1866 and expanded the Concongella vineyard over the following decade with a remarkable mix of varieties for the era, including Shiraz, Riesling, and Pinot Meunier. The 1868 planting of Pinot Meunier on the Concongella Block was particularly forward-thinking for an Australian estate, and those vines have survived continuously for more than 156 years without being grafted or replanted, having escaped the phylloxera epidemic entirely thanks to the soil conditions and isolation of the Grampians. Henry Best's pioneering work alongside his neighbour Joseph Best (who founded the original Great Western estate that Seppelt later acquired) made the Great Western district a foundational site for Australian viticulture, parallel in historical significance to the contemporaneous Tahbilk founding on the Goulburn River in 1860.

• Henry Best, English-born butcher and pastoralist, founded the estate in 1866 along Concongella Creek in the Grampians
• Planted Shiraz, Riesling, and other varieties from the founding; expanded Concongella vineyard through the late 1860s and 1870s
• 1868: Henry Best planted Pinot Meunier on the Concongella Block; vines survive continuously today, having escaped phylloxera entirely
• Henry Best's work alongside neighbour Joseph Best made Great Western a foundational district for Australian viticulture

The Thomson family purchased Best's Great Western in 1920 from the estate of Henry Best, and the family has owned and operated the winery in continuous lineage for more than a century across four generations. Eric Thomson led the estate through the mid-20th century, succeeded by his son Viv Thomson, who served as winemaker for decades and remains active as winemaker emeritus and senior family voice on heritage and viticultural matters. The current generation, including Ben Thomson on the commercial and vineyard side, carries the family stewardship forward. Justin Purser currently serves as chief winemaker, continuing the dual focus on heritage old-vine wines and ambitious cool-climate expressions. The continuous family ownership through phylloxera, both World Wars, the mid-20th century Australian fortified era, and the modern fine wine renaissance has preserved the integrity of the Concongella site and made Best's one of the rare global wine estates with documented unbroken multi-generational family ownership and 19th-century vine continuity.

• Thomson family purchased Best's Great Western in 1920 from the estate of Henry Best; continuous ownership for more than a century
• Four generations of Thomson family stewardship; Viv Thomson is fourth-generation winemaker emeritus
• Current generation includes Ben Thomson on the commercial and vineyard side; family stewardship preserved through phylloxera, two world wars, and major wine industry shifts
• Justin Purser current chief winemaker; dual focus on heritage old-vine wines and ambitious cool-climate expressions

The Concongella Block is Best's most historically significant vineyard parcel and one of the most extraordinary single sites in global viticulture. Planted by Henry Best in 1868, the block holds Pinot Meunier vines that have grown continuously on their original rootstocks for more than 156 years, never having been grafted or replanted, and survived the phylloxera epidemic that destroyed most pre-1880s Victorian vineyards. The Concongella site holds historical singularity comparable to Tahbilk's 1860 Marsanne and Shiraz plantings on the Goulburn River, placing both estates in the rare global cohort with documented 19th-century commercial vine continuity. The Pinot Meunier vines yield very small crops of intensely flavoured fruit, which Best's bottles as Old Vine Pinot Meunier, an unusual and important still red wine in a global market where Pinot Meunier is almost exclusively used as a blending component in Champagne. Old Shiraz vines adjacent to the Pinot Meunier block feed the Thomson Family Shiraz flagship, and older Pinot Noir vines planted around 1880 are used for the Old Vine Pinot Noir bottling.

• Concongella Block holds Pinot Meunier vines planted by Henry Best in 1868; world's oldest continuously cultivated commercial Pinot Meunier site at more than 156 years
• Vines never grafted or replanted; survived phylloxera entirely thanks to Grampians soil and isolation conditions
• Historical singularity parallel to Tahbilk Marsanne 1860; both estates represent the rare global cohort with documented 19th-century commercial vine continuity
• Adjacent old Shiraz blocks feed Thomson Family Shiraz; Pinot Noir vines planted around 1880 feed Old Vine Pinot Noir bottling

Best's produces a tiered portfolio anchored by heritage old-vine bottlings from Concongella and complemented by cool-climate wines from the Drumborg vineyard in Henty. The Old Vine Pinot Meunier still red, made from the 1868 vines, is the estate's most historically singular wine and a globally rare expression of a variety that exists almost exclusively as a Champagne blending component. The Thomson Family Shiraz, sourced from old-vine Shiraz adjacent to the Concongella Pinot Meunier plot, is the flagship varietal red, while Bin No. 0 Shiraz represents the broader estate range. Sparkling Shiraz from Best's continues a regional tradition founded at Seppelt Great Western, with the estate producing a sparkling Shiraz lineup that has earned consistent show recognition. The Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir round out the still range, with the Drumborg Henty wines, including a foudre-fermented Riesling and Pinot Noir, providing cool-climate counterpoints to the warmer Concongella core.

• Old Vine Pinot Meunier: still red wine from 1868 Concongella vines; a globally rare expression outside Champagne sparkling blends
• Thomson Family Shiraz: flagship from old-vine Shiraz adjacent to the Concongella Pinot Meunier plot
• Bin No. 0 Shiraz: broader estate range Shiraz; Sparkling Shiraz continues regional tradition from Seppelt Great Western
• Drumborg Henty range: cool-climate Foudre Ferment Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from the estate's second vineyard

Best's operates a second vineyard at Drumborg in the Henty GI of far south-western Victoria, the coolest wine region on mainland Australia. The Drumborg property extends the estate's range into a distinct cool maritime climate, complementing the warmer Concongella core in the Grampians. The Drumborg fruit is used for cool-climate Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling base wines, providing structural counterpoint to the warmer-climate Concongella range. Best's Foudre Ferment Riesling, fermented in large oak foudre using Drumborg fruit, is one of the estate's most distinctive cool-climate bottlings, showing texture, citrus precision, and mineral length characteristic of Henty Riesling. The dual-region approach (Grampians old-vine heritage plus Henty cool-climate ambition) gives Best's an unusually broad stylistic palette for a single Australian family estate, while preserving the foundational Concongella identity that defines the brand internationally.

• Second vineyard at Drumborg in the Henty GI of far south-western Victoria, the coolest mainland Australian wine region
• Drumborg fruit used for cool-climate Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling base wines
• Foudre Ferment Riesling: foudre-fermented from Drumborg fruit; distinctive cool-climate bottling with citrus precision and mineral length
• Dual-region approach (Grampians old-vine heritage plus Henty cool-climate ambition) gives Best's an unusually broad stylistic palette