Tarrahill.

Owned by former Mallesons Lawyers partner Jonathan Hamer and wife Andrea, a former doctor and daughter of Ian Hanson, who made wine for many years under the Hanson- Tarrahill label. Ian had a 0.8ha vineyard at Lower Plenty but needed 2ha to obtain a vigneron’s licence. In 1990 the Hamers purchased a property in the Yarra Valley and planted the requisite vines (pinot noir – ultimately destroyed by the 2009 bushfires). Jonathan and company director friend Geof Fethers worked weekends in the vineyard and in ’04 decided that they would undertake a wine science degree (at CSU); they graduated in ’11. In ’12 Jonathan retired from law and planted more vines (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec and petit verdot) and Ian (aged 86) retired from winemaking. Andrea has also contributed with a 2nd degree (horticulture); she is a biodynamics advocate. -JAMES HALLIDAY