Location
Virgin Hills Estate is at Lauriston, 15km west of Kyneton Victoria in the Macedon Ranges. The altitude of the vineyard is 600 metres above sea level, making it one of Australia's highest vineyards.

Soils
The Virgin Hills vineyard is carved out of dense eucalyptus bushland. The soils classic profile is that of friable red/brown topsoil overlying medium red clay soil, which holds moisture in from winter rain's. Underneath all these layers are decomposed silty sandstone, which allows for good through drainage, essential for premium fruit. The soil has well balanced structure allowing for deep root penetration, which the old unirrigated vines thrive on.

The Vines
Planted by the original owner, Tom Lazar, in 1968. The vines are all dry grown. Winter rainfall fills the soil with water for the dry summer months.

Acreage	Cabernet Sauvignon	18.5 acres
	Shiraz	6 acres
	Merlot	4 acres
	Malbec	2 acres
	Total	30.5 acres

Tonnage
Virgin Hills has always had a low grape yield (0.5 to 1.5 tonnes per acre), this is largely due to the tough climactic conditions and the dry grown grapes.

Climate

Summer (Temps)	5°C to 30°C
Winter (Temps)	-4°C to 12°C

Climatic Problems: By far the most challenging aspect of the high altitude vineyard is frost control. Frosts commonly appear in the vineyard in spring and even summer. For this reason Virgin Hills was planted with a Northerly aspect, on steep sloping hillside, providing maximum air drainage.

Seasonal Cycle

Budburst	October
Flowering	December
Fruitset	End December
Veraison	February
Harvest	April/May
Dormancy	May/September