Mount Horrocks

Mount Horrocks was founded in 1982 by John and Heather Horrocks (no relation to Clare Valley pioneer John Horrocks who planted the region's first vines in 1840) and operated through the 1980s as a small Watervale boutique. Stephanie Toole acquired the estate in 1993, becoming owner, winemaker, and operator. Toole had trained at Roseworthy Agricultural College and worked in winemaking roles across Australia before taking on Mount Horrocks. Under her stewardship, the estate has built a reputation for precise, terroir-driven Watervale Riesling and the distinctive Cordon Cut dessert Riesling. The cellar door operates from the historic Auburn railway station building (built circa 1918), adapted as one of Clare Valley's most charming tasting rooms on the Riesling Trail.

• Founded 1982 by John and Heather Horrocks in Watervale, Clare Valley
• 1993: Stephanie Toole acquires the estate; owner-operator winemaker since
• Stephanie Toole trained at Roseworthy Agricultural College before broad Australian winemaking experience
• Cellar door in historic Auburn railway station building (circa 1918) on the Riesling Trail

Mount Horrocks farms approximately eight hectares of estate vineyards in Watervale, the southern Clare Valley district defined by terra rossa, a red loam formed as limestone weathers and oxidises, sitting over a hard limestone base. The combination provides excellent drainage and balanced fertility, producing Riesling of generous citrus character with a chalky-saline finish that mirrors the underlying limestone. Stephanie Toole converted Mount Horrocks to certified organic from 2003 and biodynamic from 2014, among the earliest Clare Valley estates to make the transition. Vineyards include Riesling, Semillon, Shiraz, and small parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields are managed below 5 tonnes per hectare to concentrate flavour. The Cordon Cut Riesling is sourced from a designated block where the canes are severed several weeks before harvest, allowing the grapes to dehydrate on the vine and concentrate sugars without botrytis development.

• ~8 ha estate vineyards in Watervale on terra rossa over limestone
• Certified organic from 2003; biodynamic from 2014; among earliest Clare Valley estates to certify
• Riesling-led plantings with Semillon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon parcels
• Cordon Cut block: canes severed weeks before harvest; grapes dehydrate on vine; sugar concentration without botrytis

Stephanie Toole's winemaking philosophy is direct and unmodish: hand-harvested fruit, gentle pressing, stainless steel fermentation for Rieslings with selected cultured yeasts at controlled temperatures, and minimal intervention through to bottling. Watervale Riesling is bone-dry, fermented to dryness without arrest, no malolactic fermentation, bottled under Stelvin screw cap, and released in spring following vintage. Cordon Cut Riesling involves an unusual viticultural step: several weeks before harvest, the canes bearing the designated Cordon Cut fruit are partially severed, leaving the grape bunches attached but cut off from the vine's water and nutrient supply. The grapes shrivel and dehydrate on the vine, concentrating natural sugar to around 250 to 300 grams per litre without botrytis development. The wine is fermented partially to retain residual sugar of typically 130 to 160 grams per litre, balanced by the high natural acidity of cool-climate Watervale Riesling. The result is a uniquely Australian style of late-harvest dessert Riesling: pure, lifted, and acid-driven rather than heavy or unctuous.

• Watervale Riesling: hand-harvested, gentle press, stainless steel ferment, cultured yeast, no malolactic, bone-dry, Stelvin screw cap
• Cordon Cut: canes severed weeks before harvest; grapes dehydrate on vine; sugar concentrated to 250-300 g/L without botrytis
• Cordon Cut wine: partial fermentation retaining 130-160 g/L residual sugar; high natural acidity provides balance
• Stephanie Toole's philosophy: minimal intervention, organic and biodynamic fruit, varietal expression over winemaking artifice

Mount Horrocks' core range is anchored by two Rieslings. The Watervale Riesling is the estate flagship: bone-dry, terra-rossa-mineral, with classic Clare lime and chalky-saline character; 10 to 15 year cellaring under Stelvin. The Cordon Cut Riesling is the iconic dessert wine: concentrated late-harvest fruit with acid drive that distinguishes it from European Auslese or Sauternes models. The red range includes Shiraz from estate vineyards and small-production Cabernet Sauvignon, both made in a structured, terroir-driven idiom. Semillon completes the white range. Total production is approximately 5,000 cases per year, all hand-made and overseen by Stephanie Toole. Cellar door sales account for a significant share of distribution, with select retail and restaurant placements across Australia and limited export to the UK, US, and Asia. The estate's reputation rests on consistency, organic and biodynamic credibility, and the singular position of Cordon Cut in Australia's dessert wine landscape.

• Watervale Riesling: estate flagship; bone-dry, terra-rossa-mineral; 10-15 year cellaring
• Cordon Cut Riesling: iconic Australian late-harvest dessert wine made by vine-cane severance
• Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon: structured, terroir-driven red wines from estate vineyards
• Production ~5,000 cases/year; cellar door at Auburn railway station; select retail, restaurant, and export distribution

Stephanie Toole and Mount Horrocks have built a reputation as one of Clare Valley's most respected and personally led estates. Toole was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2018 for service to the wine industry, recognising both her individual contribution and her advocacy for organic and biodynamic viticulture in Australia. The Cordon Cut Riesling appears regularly in major Australian dessert wine awards and is widely considered the country's benchmark late-harvest dry-acid Riesling style. Mount Horrocks was among the Clare Valley Winemakers Association group that adopted Stelvin screw cap closures collectively in 2000, and Toole has been a consistent public advocate for the closure on age-worthy white wines. The estate operates at a deliberately small scale, with quality and consistency prioritised over volume growth. Mount Horrocks' wines feature on premium restaurant wine lists nationally and in select export markets, with limited production keeping allocations tight for retail.

• Stephanie Toole awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2018 for service to the wine industry
• Cordon Cut Riesling: benchmark Australian late-harvest dry-acid Riesling style
• Participated in 2000 Clare Valley collective Stelvin screw cap adoption; vocal advocate for closure technology
• Operates at deliberate small scale; quality and consistency over volume growth; tight retail allocations