The inspiration behind the planting of vines in the Yarra Valley came from Swiss settlers of the 1850’s. These worldly and hard working immigrants had been greatly influenced by French wines and recognised the climatic parallels the Yarra Valley shared with Bordeaux and Burgundy. After extensive visits to the wine producing areas of the world in the late 1960’s, and in particular those of Bordeaux and Burgundy, John and Marli Middleton became fixated on French premium wine. They resolved to find a suitable site upon which to establish a small commercial vineyard with the intention of making elegant, low alcohol wines from French varieties. John was obsessed at this stage with an idea put in his head by Colin Preece of Great Western, that Australia was yet to produce a refined and elegant Cabernet. John saw it as his duty to work towards this. Mount Mary»