Biodynamics and Lark Hill
From 2003, Lark Hill has been farmed using Biodynamic Principles, and certified by NASAA.
Our 2006 and 2007 Vintages received "Biodynamic in Conversion" labelling - and from 2008 on, all Lark Hill estate wines receive "Certified Biodynamic" labelling.
Biodynamic farming was fathered by Rudolph Steiner, in Austria in the 1920s. Reacting to a widespread loss of farm vigour and production, Steiner gave a series of lectures outlining Biodynamic farming.
In a modern interpretation, Biodynamic farming seeks to replace conventional methods with natural alternatives. In some cases, this is as simple as replacing chemical controls with manual labour. However, Biodynamics go far further than this, treating the farm as a huge interconnected web of organisms - with the knowledge that a healthy, balanced, biodiverse farm will sustainably produce wonderful crops.
We use composting and mulching to control weeds and improve soil structure - recycling all of our farm and winery waste into compost to return nutrients, minerals and organic matter to the soil.
We use the Biodynamic "Preparations" to stimulate soil and vine health, as well as control fungi on the vines themselves. This includes the well-known "500" - made up from composted cow manure: which acts as a pro-fungi culture for the soil, encouraging positive fungi growth and symbiotic relationships to help the vines grow. This holistic, closed-loop farming practice means our vineyard is very sustainable - with few inputs and fewer outputs.
Additionally, we have partially replaced the use of Organic Approved fungicides (Copper and Sulfur) in the vineyard with regular milk sprays. Milk contains a protein which stimulates a positive fungi on the vine leaves - which prevents the growth of unwanted fungi like Downy Mildew.
The elimination of poisons from our vineyard means that our fruit comes into the winery with its own healthy, native yeast cultures - and so our wines are made using only 'wild' yeast ferments.
In the winery, we seek to translate the balance and vibrance of the fruit to the wines - using minimal intervention winemaking techniques to ensure that the wine reflects the geology, climate and location of our vineyard, in a true preservation of Terroir.
Under Biodynamic certification, we use a maximum of 20ppm (parts-per-million) of free Sulphur (preservative) at bottling - a low dose that may reduce Sulphur reactions, and still ensures our wines will cellar impeccably for years to come.
