It’s fortunate that when I first met David Paxton in the 1980s we were on the same side of the virtual fence. His piercing gaze through steely blue eyes and his large frame (all muscle) intimidated those who came into contact with him and believed they knew better.

Paxton had purchased a rundown vineyard in McLaren Vale in 1979 using the money he had received for the sale of an almond grove he had established in his teens. He learnt on the job, quickly assimilated knowledge and had a willingness to go outside the square. Thus he became an integral part of the development of close-spaced vine rows running directly down steep slopes in the Adelaide Hills for Brian Croser and Tony Jordan. That trio helped me with the 1985 plantings of Coldstream Hills’ Amphitheatre blocks – the first such slopes in Victoria. Paxton was my adviser when Coldstream Hills purchased what became Deer Farm vineyard (1993) and Gladysdale (1994). Deer Farm is now the foremost Upper Yarra vineyard in Coldstream Hills’ portfolio.

There’s a mountain of detail on the steep slopes of Deer Farm and Amphitheatre, just as there is in the Adelaide Hills (one slope nicknamed The Widowmaker) and the Yarra Valley. McLaren Vale had a far more hospitable terroir. Paxton became a “practical farmer” (his expression), accumulating six vineyards covering 85ha, producing high quality shiraz and seven other varieties.

I was dumbfounded when, in 2004, he announced his intention to convert all his vineyards to biodynamics. Why? “Well, I went to a workshop in Beechworth run by Nicolas Joly [a famous French biodynamic proselytiser], and I was impressed enough to give it a go.” What he found was a reduced need for irrigation, and lower alcohol levels at optimum ripeness. In 2011, Paxton became a fully certified organic and biodynamic vigneron. Game, set and match.

2020 Paxton Quandong Farm Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz

Certified organic and biodynamic fruit; wild yeast whole bunch fermentation; a powerful gush of fruit, and even more so tannins, the saving grace being that they are ripe. Bramble, blackberry and dark chocolate are all in the passing parade. 13.5% alc, screwcap 95 points, drink to 2035, $30

2021 Paxton NOW McLaren Vale Shiraz

Deep, bright crimson. No preservative also means no oak, and managing the ferment is not drop-dead easy. This wine has a rich stream of cherry (red and black), plum and blackberry with a smooth gloss of tannins. And the screwcap has given SO2-free wines a longer hold on life than was possible with cork-finished wines. 14% alc, screwcap 94 points, drink to 2024, $25

2020 Paxton MV McLaren Vale Shiraz

A near-perfect introduction to a medium-bodied McLaren Vale shiraz, generous in nature, ample in its frame, with fresh and poached blackberry fruits, a lick of dark chocolate and soft tannins. Exceptional value. 14% alc, screwcap 93 points, drink to 2030, $22



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