Mac Forbes

Mac Forbes grew up in the Yarra Valley, where his parents picked grapes for the iconic Mount Mary estate. That early connection to the land shaped everything that followed. After gaining experience at Mount Mary and Southcorp, Forbes traveled to work with celebrated Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort, deepening his understanding of site-driven, low-intervention winemaking. He launched his own label in 2004 and set up his winery in Healesville, at 770 Healesville Koo Wee Rup Road.

• Grew up in the Yarra Valley with family connections to Mount Mary
• Trained at Mount Mary, Southcorp, and with Dirk Niepoort in Portugal
• Founded the Mac Forbes label in 2004, based in Healesville
• Reached the 20th harvest milestone in 2024

Forbes has become one of the most vocal champions of Yarra Valley sub-regional identity. Rather than blending across the valley, he sources from six distinct vineyard sites to map the differences between townships. Woori Yallock, Wesburn, Hoddles Creek, Yarra Junction, Coldstream, and Gruyere each appear as named expressions in the range, giving drinkers a township-by-township guide to Yarra Valley terroir. This approach has helped raise awareness of lesser-known subregions that might otherwise have remained in the shadow of more established Yarra addresses.

• Six vineyard sites span multiple Yarra Valley townships
• Key subregions include Woori Yallock, Wesburn, Hoddles Creek, and Gruyere
• Township labeling lets each wine communicate its specific origin
• Forbes pioneered focus on cooler, higher-elevation Yarra sites

The Mac Forbes philosophy is built on minimal intervention and maximum attention in the vineyard. Vineyards sit at elevations ranging from 50 to 1,000 metres across soils that shift from red volcanic material to grey loamy clay overlying siltstone. Hand harvesting preserves fruit integrity, wild yeast fermentation adds textural complexity, and all wines are released unfined and unfiltered. The result is a house style defined by elegance, precision, and firm structure rather than richness or overt fruit weight, with lower alcohol levels that reflect the cool-climate sites.

• Elevations range from 50 to 1,000 metres across vineyard sites
• Soils include red volcanic and grey loamy clay overlying siltstone
• Wild yeast fermentation; all wines unfined and unfiltered
• Lower alcohol levels and firm structure are hallmarks of the style

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay form the core of production, with single-vineyard expressions sitting at the top of the range. Beyond Yarra Valley staples, Forbes also works with Riesling sourced from the Strathbogie Ranges. An experimental batch series, labeled EB wines, gives the winery room to explore varieties and techniques outside the main range. Grapes in the portfolio include Syrah, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Chenin Blanc alongside the headline varieties, reflecting an appetite for pushing beyond conventional Yarra Valley expectations.

• Single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay anchor the range
• Riesling sourced from Strathbogie Ranges
• Experimental batch (EB) wines explore less common varieties and techniques
• Portfolio includes Barbera, Dolcetto, Syrah, and Chenin Blanc