By Farr

The By Farr story begins with Gary Farr's foundational work at Bannockburn Vineyards in Geelong's Moorabool Valley. Bannockburn had been founded in 1974 by Stuart Hooper as one of the earliest estates of Geelong's modern revival, and Gary Farr joined as chief winemaker in 1978, when he was in his mid-twenties. Farr brought a Burgundian sensibility to Bannockburn that was unusual for Australian winemakers of the era, and over the next fifteen-plus years he travelled regularly to Burgundy, spending vintages working alongside the Seysses family at Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis. The Dujac influence proved decisive: Farr returned to Bannockburn with a deep commitment to whole-bunch fermentation for Pinot Noir, indigenous yeast where possible, minimal intervention through fermentation and ageing, and a focus on terroir-driven site expression rather than monolithic regional house style. Under Farr's leadership from 1978 to 1994, Bannockburn became Australia's most genuinely Burgundian-aspirational estate and a benchmark for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Bannockburn Pinot Noirs Farr made in this period are now widely regarded as the formative expression of Australian Burgundian-style Pinot. After more than fifteen years building Bannockburn's reputation, Gary Farr left in 1994 to establish his own estate on adjacent Moorabool Valley land.

• Bannockburn Vineyards founded 1974 by Stuart Hooper; Gary Farr joined as chief winemaker 1978
• Farr travelled regularly to Burgundy and worked alongside the Seysses family at Domaine Dujac in Morey-Saint-Denis; Dujac influence proved decisive
• Under Farr's leadership 1978-1994, Bannockburn became Australia's most Burgundian-aspirational estate and a benchmark for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• Farr's Bannockburn Pinot Noirs from this era widely regarded as the formative expression of Australian Burgundian-style Pinot

Gary Farr left Bannockburn in 1994 and, with wife Robyn Farr, established his own estate on adjacent Moorabool Valley land near Bannockburn township. The first By Farr vines were planted at the Sangreal Vineyard, and the estate was named simply by joining 'By' with the family surname, with By Farr operating as both literal family designation and conceptual statement of authorship. Early vintages built quickly on Gary Farr's existing reputation, and By Farr rapidly became one of the most sought-after small-allocation Australian estates. The estate added Tout Pres Vineyard (named for its proximity to the home block, in the French sense of 'very near') and Cote Vineyard, and the portfolio expanded to encompass Pinot Noir from each named vineyard alongside Chardonnay and Shiraz. Gary's son Nick Farr, who had grown up around Bannockburn and By Farr winemaking from childhood, joined the estate full-time after wine studies and overseas experience, and assumed the chief winemaker role in 2005. The transition has been seamless, with the same Burgundian winemaking principles and minimal-intervention philosophy carrying forward. The estate remains family-owned and operated, with tiny production sold almost exclusively through a mailing list.

• Gary Farr left Bannockburn 1994 and established By Farr on adjacent Moorabool Valley land at Bannockburn township
• Estate planted progressively across three named vineyards: Sangreal Vineyard (home block), Tout Pres Vineyard (very near), and Cote Vineyard
• Nick Farr (Gary's son) chief winemaker since 2005; seamless generational transition with continuity of Burgundian winemaking principles
• Family-owned and operated; tiny production sold almost exclusively through a mailing list; among Australia's most sought-after small-allocation estates

By Farr operates across three named single vineyards in Geelong's Moorabool Valley, each with a distinct soil and aspect expression that the Farr family treats as a separate terroir. Sangreal Vineyard, the home block planted at By Farr's founding in 1994, sits on the deep red basalt-over-clay soils characteristic of the Moorabool Valley. Sangreal Pinot Noir is the most structured and savoury of the three named Pinots, with the deep basalt soils delivering darker fruit and finer-grained tannic structure. Tout Pres Vineyard, named for its proximity to Sangreal (the French phrase 'tout pres' meaning 'very near'), is a contrasting block with different soil composition and aspect. Tout Pres Pinot Noir tends toward more perfumed aromatics and a slightly lighter mid-palate frame. Cote Vineyard, named in homage to Burgundy's Cote d'Or, is the third single-vineyard block. Each vineyard yields its own bottled-separately Pinot Noir, with overlapping Chardonnay and Shiraz programs. The Moorabool Valley's basalt-over-clay geology, derived from the Newer Volcanics Province that shaped western Victoria, is central to the estate's structural identity. Vine density is high by Australian standards, planting follows Burgundian sensibilities, and the Farr family farms with minimal intervention and progressive movement toward biodynamic principles.

• Sangreal Vineyard (home block, planted 1994): deep red basalt-over-clay soils; most structured and savoury Pinot Noir in the lineup
• Tout Pres Vineyard (very near): contrasting soil composition and aspect; Pinot Noir tends toward more perfumed aromatics and lighter mid-palate frame
• Cote Vineyard (named in homage to Burgundy's Cote d'Or): the third single-vineyard block; distinct site expression in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Shiraz
• Moorabool Valley basalt-over-clay geology derived from the Newer Volcanics Province; central to the estate's structural identity

By Farr's winemaking philosophy carries forward Gary Farr's foundational Dujac-influenced sensibility: whole-bunch fermentation for Pinot Noir, indigenous yeast where possible, minimal intervention through fermentation and ageing, and moderate use of new oak. Whole-bunch percentages for Pinot Noir vary by vintage and vineyard but typically range from 50 to 100 percent across the named single-vineyard releases. Fermentations are in small open vats with gentle hand plunging; pressing is gentle to preserve aromatic finesse and structural elegance. Pinot Noirs age in French oak with deliberately moderate new oak proportion (typically below 30 percent), allowing site expression and fruit character to dominate over oak influence. For Chardonnay, the estate works reductively in the Burgundian tradition: whole-bunch pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation in barrel, extended lees ageing with minimal stirring, and moderate new oak. The Chardonnays show tightly wound mineral tension, citrus zest, and exceptional ageworthiness. By Farr Shiraz is made in a Northern Rhone-aspirational cool-climate frame, with whole-bunch fermentation, moderate extraction, and French oak rather than American; the wines show peppery spice, dark cherry, and a savoury mid-weight structure quite distinct from warm-climate Australian Shiraz. Across all varieties the house style emphasises structural elegance, site-specificity, and ageing capacity over immediate hedonism.

• Whole-bunch fermentation for Pinot Noir: typically 50-100 percent across named single-vineyard releases; indigenous yeast where possible
• Pinot Noir aged in French oak with moderate new oak proportion (typically below 30 percent); site expression dominates over oak influence
• Chardonnay reductive Burgundian style: whole-bunch pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation in barrel, extended lees ageing with minimal stirring
• Shiraz in Northern Rhone-aspirational cool-climate frame; whole-bunch fermentation, French oak, peppery and savoury rather than warm-climate

By Farr's portfolio is small, intensely site-specific, and rigorously consistent. The Pinot Noir program centres on three named single-vineyard wines: Sangreal Pinot Noir, Tout Pres Pinot Noir, and Cote Pinot Noir, each released in vintages where the block expresses sufficient distinction. The Chardonnay program produces By Farr Chardonnay from selected estate parcels, with the wines showing the tightly wound mineral tension and Burgundian sensibility for which the estate is known. The Shiraz program produces By Farr Shiraz, a cool-climate Northern Rhone-aspirational expression that, while less internationally recognised than the Pinot Noir, has built a dedicated following among collectors who appreciate the variety's potential in cool-climate Geelong. The estate also releases small parcels of Viognier and other varieties from time to time. Annual production is tiny, allocations are mailing-list only, and the wines routinely appear on best-of lists alongside Bass Phillip, Mount Mary, and Bindi as the four Australian estates most often compared to fine Burgundy. The Farr family's continuity across two generations, combined with the rigorous winemaking philosophy and the Moorabool Valley basalt site, has established By Farr as one of Australia's most reliably collectible cult cool-climate estates.

• Three named single-vineyard Pinot Noirs: Sangreal, Tout Pres, and Cote; released in vintages where the block expresses sufficient distinction
• By Farr Chardonnay: tightly wound mineral tension and Burgundian sensibility; reductive lees-driven winemaking
• By Farr Shiraz: cool-climate Northern Rhone-aspirational expression; whole-bunch fermented and French-oaked
• Mailing-list only allocations; routinely ranked alongside Bass Phillip, Mount Mary, and Bindi as Australia's most Burgundian cult cool-climate estates