Clare Burder
Eminence
Whitlands, VIC
Clare Burder is the unstoppable force behind Eminence Wines, a grower-producer located in the sub alpine region of Whitlands in north east Victoria. The high altitude (840m) site is one of the coldest vineyards in Australia and features rich, free draining Devonian era loam soils. Planted with pinot gris, pinot noir, pinot blanc, meunier and chardonnay, the site presents an immense challenge viticulturally but produces concentrated fruit with remarkable acidity and varietal purity. It was originally planted by her parents in 1998 and for many years supplied sparkling base for leading producers around the country and, since 2010, small quantities of exceptional méthode traditionelle sparkling were also produced under the Eminence label with guidance of (late) winemaking guru Tony Jordan.
In 2019, after a decade in Melbourne working as a wine educator, Clare returned to the family farm to make a proper go of it. Her and her Dad built a winery, her partner Pete took on the viticulture and she took on the winemaking – producing a small range of wines intent on highlighting the unique vineyard. The evolution from sparkling wine into table wines is part of the ongoing story of Eminence, largely driven by Pete’s expertise, as ripening grapes for table wine is a significant challenge. In response, the winemaking is simple: all wines are barrel fermented, gently handled, not filtered or fined and are typically made without any adjustments or additives except for sulphur. The result is a range of interesting, characterful, gentle wines which capture the essence of Whitlands. [Instagram @clareburder]
Available in NSW & ACT only.