Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser both grew up surrounded by passionate winemaking families. In 2005 they launched their boutique wine import business, Terroir Selections. Together they unearthed small, terroir domaines from Europe for importation to Australia. Inspired by the wines they discovered, they purchased a special piece of land in Wrattonbully and planted their first vineyard. From the beginning the vision for Terre à Terre has been to grow the very best quality grapes, from the same vineyard sites every year, and then vinify them using the best of French and Australian wine practices. In addition to Terre à Terre, the couple also grow and make traditional method sparkling wine under the name DAOSA (Dedicated Artisans of South Australia), from their sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in Piccadilly Valley.
Terre a Terre's Crayeres vineyard is in the Wrattonbully GI, located just north of Coonawarra and south of Padthaway. Wrattonbully is considered a fairly new wine region of Australia. The first plantings in Wrattonbully date back to 1969, when 11 hectares were planted by the Penders, including 4 hectares of Shiraz, 4 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and 4 hectares of Chardonnay. This was followed by John Greenshields, with his Koppamurra Vineyard in 1974, where he planted 4 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard has since been bought by Tapanappa and re named the Whalebone Vineyard, and is situated just across the road from the Terre a Terre vineyard.
Wrattonbully's vineyards are located east of the Kanawinka Fault, more elevated than the coastal plains vineyards, as well as being on much older limestone and much older soil sediments. The climate is very similar to Bordeaux with heat summations of 1,350 degree days during the growing season.
The climate in the Piccadilly Valley has a long term average of approximately 1,200 degree days during the growing season and the yearly rainfall is approximately 1,100mm. The terroir in the higher, cooler slopes of the Piccadilly Valley makes it ideal for Sparkling wine produced using Methode Traditionnelle.
Bizot vineyard is situated in the heart of Piccadilly Valley, one of the highest vineyards at 500m altitude. The soil is red clay and sandy loams over a 70 million-year-old shale rock formation. The Chardonnay is planted on a north-north east facing slope. Late in 2015, Terre a Terre took over management of one of the oldest vineyards in Adelaide Hills, Charles Chilly Hargrave’s property at Summertown in Piccadilly Valley. The Summertown vineyard is planted on a north south ridge. The 1987 Chardonnay plantings are on a gentle west facing slope, coming from cuttings from The Tiers Vineyard nearby, and have always been cane pruned. The Pinot Noir plantings sit on the top and the very steep eastern flank of the ridge, mostly spur pruned, using various clones through a progression of annual plantings.
Terre a Terre will continue the long established tradition of Chardonnay and Pinot for the Daosa label's sparkling wines. Much of the 1992 Pinot Noir plantings have been converted to cane pruning for optimal control of yields, for a Piccadilly Valley Pinot Noir under the Terre a Terre label. A long family tradition of outstanding fruit and exceptional wines. A wonderful endowment of vineyards from which to draw the finest vintages. A consuming passion for the winemakers art and the realization of a superb range of wines which are second to none. Exciting times ahead!
