Fallen Giants Vineyard | Victoria
The Fallen Giants vineyard was planted on the steep Eastern slopes of the Grampians in 1969 by a long term grower for Seppelts and Penfolds (the grapes from here made it into Penfolds Grange 1986). At the time, it represented part of the second coming of the Victorian wine industry, which had seen very little new plantings since the turn of the century. The region had always had a pedigree for great wines with the first vineyards in the Grampians being planted at Bests and Seppelt, in the early 1860’s.
The vineyard was purchased by the late, great, Trevor Mast of Mount Langi Ghiran in the early 1990s and was then subsequently bought by Aaron Drummond and his family in 2014. They re-named the vineyard Fallen Giants after the dreamtime stories of the original owners of these land, the Djab Wurrung and Jardiwadjali people. According to the legends, Geriward (the Grampians) was created by the great Ancestor spirit Bunjil, who often took the form of a great Eagle. The ranges were then further shaped by Tchingal a Giant ferocious Emu, who split the mountains with his fierce kick.
Aaron is the General Manager of New Zealand's Craggy Range as well as owning 50% of the Circe winery in Mornington Peninsula. Circe winemaker, Dan Buckle, provided blending advice for the 2013 to 2015 Fallen Giants wines, which were made at Mount Langi Ghiran, but since 2016, the wines have been made by Justin Purser at Best’s Great Western, the Estate’s closest neighbour.
There are only eight producers in the region, of which three are Langtons classified (Best’s, Mount Langi Ghiran and Seppelts). Six of these eight have the prestigious 5 star rating from Australian wine critic James Halliday - a testament to the quality the region can produce. James Halliday rated Fallen Giants Vineyard as a 5-star winery in his annual Wine Companion for 2016, 2017 and 2018. He also gave both the 2014 and 2015 Fallen Giants’ Shiraz 95 points.