Lark Hill was established in 1978 by Sue and Dave Carpenter, high on the escarpment above Bungendore, 30 kilometres north-east of Canberra. At 860 metres it is one of the highest vineyards in the Canberra District, a cold site with shallow shale soils over clay and about 600 millimetres of rain a year. The low-vigour vines give intense flavours but small crops; they are sparingly irrigated, as local water is saline, and are pruned for low yields and heavily mulched. The first vintage, in 1981, was tiny quantities of Riesling and Chardonnay, and varieties unsuited to the cold, dry site such as Cabernet and Shiraz were grafted over. The estate now grows Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Grüner Veltliner. Their son Chris joined the winemaking team in 2002.
Lark Hill has been farmed biodynamically since 2003. After the five-year transition, NASAA granted conversion certification in 2006, and from 2008 all Lark Hill estate wines have been labelled Certified Biodynamic.
In 2011 the family bought a second vineyard at Murrumbateman, renamed Dark Horse. Planted in 2001 at about 600 metres on deep granite soils, it grows Shiraz, Viognier, Sangiovese and small amounts of Marsanne and Roussanne, gives generous, rich fruit, and has been certified biodynamic since 2013.
- Address
- 31 Joe Rocks Road, Bungendore NSW 2621
- Founded
- 1978
Regions
Wines
- Lark Hill Canberra District Auslese Riesling — Dessert
- Lark Hill Canberra District Cabernet Merlot — Red
- Lark Hill Canberra District Cabernet Sauvignon — Red
- Lark Hill Canberra District Chardonnay — White
- Lark Hill Canberra District Gruner Veltliner — White
- Lark Hill Canberra District Pinot Noir — Red
- Lark Hill Canberra District Riesling — White
- Lark Hill Canberra District Sangiovese — Red
- Lark Hill Canberra District Shiraz Viognier — Red
- Lark Hill Canberra District Viognier — White
- Lark Hill Canberra Region Riesling — White
- Lark Hill Dark Horse Vineyard Viognier — White
- Lark Hill Estate Shiraz Viognier — Red
- Lark Hill Exaltation Cabernet — Red
- Lark Hill Exaltation Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Shiraz — Red
- Lark Hill Exaltation Canberra District Pinot Noir — Red
- Lark Hill Exaltation Merlot — Red
- Lark Hill Exaltation Shiraz — Red
- Lark Hill Exhaltation Botrytis Roussanne — Dessert
- Lark Hill Grenache Regional — Red
- Lark Hill Grenache Roxanne! Petillant Naturel — Sparkling
- Lark Hill Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre GSM Hudson Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Lark Hill Vineyard Chardonnay — White
- Lark Hill Lark Hill Vineyard Grüner Veltliner — White
- Lark Hill Lark Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir — Red
- Lark Hill Lark Hill Vineyard Riesling — White
- Lark Hill Marsanne Dark Horse Vineyard — White
- Lark Hill Methode Champenoise Canberra District Pinot Noir Chardonnay — Sparkling
- Lark Hill Mourvèdre Hudson Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Museum Release Canberra District Gruner Veltliner — White
- Lark Hill Museum Release Methode Champenoise Canberra District Pinot Noir Chardonnay — Sparkling
- Lark Hill Nero d'Avola Tumblong Hills Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Pinot Noir Coppabella Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Pinot Noir Regional — Red
- Lark Hill Red genericsblends Exaltation — Red
- Lark Hill Riesling Ley-Line Lark Hill Vineyard — Dessert
- Lark Hill Riesling Regional — White
- Lark Hill Rose — Rosé
- Lark Hill Sangiovese Dark Horse Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Sangiovese Shiraz Dark Horse Vineyard Scuro Sangiovese Syrah — Red
- Lark Hill Scuro Sangiovese Shiraz — Red
- Lark Hill Shiraz — Red
- Lark Hill Shiraz Dark Horse Vineyard Canberra District Syrah — Red
- Lark Hill Shiraz Viognier Dark Horse Vineyard — Red
- Lark Hill Sweet white Museum Release Canberra District Auslese Riesling — Dessert
- Lark Hill White Blends MrV — White