A Distinctive Site

Encircled by towering Karri Gum forests, the Smithbrook vineyard is located on a sun-capped hill in Pemberton, in the South West corner of Western Australia. 

The whole South West of Western Australia offers a unique proposition relative to other Australian viticultural regions.  Underlying this expansive region is a huge block of granite called the Yilgarn craton, one of the oldest rock formations in the world dating back 2,700 million years.  Effectively the Yilgarn can be referred to as the cornerstone of the Australian continent.

With the vineyard surrounded by majestic forests, many of the soils can be defined by the eucalyptus trees that grow on them.  The ‘Marri Gum’ and ‘Black Butt’ soils are located on the higher sections of the vineyard and have been selected for the red grape varieties as they contain larger amounts of ironstone nodules throughout and a slightly heavier texture.  The ‘Karri Gum’ soils on the lower slopes of the vineyard offer a lighter textured loam with a deeper profile.  These soils tend to be cooler, by virtue of their position and their lower gravel content and have been planted predominantly to white varieties. 

The positioning of the South Western Australian land mass (essentially a peninsula) to the Indian and Southern Oceans is the principal influence on the prevailing local climate.  No other viticultural region in Australia is subjected to such a predominant maritime influence.  Pemberton and the Smithbrook Vineyard are slightly inland from both oceans and subsequently tend to have a mix of influences, being cooler than vineyards directly to the west and warmer than vineyards directly to the south.  The slightly higher altitude (200m) further moderates temperatures as well as provides enough upward air movement for precipitation to fall, leading to relatively abundant rainfalls – subsequently, the vines are able to be grown without irrigation.

A Natural Approach

With native forests and fauna so prevalent in the Pemberton region, Smithbrook has a strict philosophy of absolute minimal impact on the environment.  A natural approach to managing the vines involves pruning them back to a level that can be supported by the natural rainfall and soils, avoiding the need for irrigation and fertilisers. This results in low yielding vines producing fruit with an extra depth of character, thus realising the distinctiveness of the site.  Insecticides are also avoided, instead relying on natural insect predators and guinea fowl which are released into the vineyard when required.