Below & Above

John and Evdokia (aka Kia) Klepec purchased the Thella vineyard in Pemberton in ‘13 and have since been producing sustainable wine under the Below & Above label. Bruce Dukes has been in charge of winemaking for the past 5 years. The 33ha vineyard is planted to chardonnay, pinot noir and merlot, comprising 6.6ha Gingin chardonnay, a large component of pinot noir (clones 114, 115, 777 and G8V3), 1.2 ha of close-planted (1 x 1.5m) 667 pinot, and 181 and Q45v14 merlot clones. The wines are sold with a bit of age (5 years on the merlot, 3 on the pinot and chardonnay). Exports to Singapore. -ERIN LARKIN