Approaching his 12th vintage as Montalto winemaker, Simon Black has a tremendous grounding and recognition for the vineyards that provide the life-blood to the Montalto winery, together with a meticulous understanding of how to vinify and capture the potential of each site. Following his graduation in Oenology from Charles Sturt University in 1996, Black travelled extensively, nationally and internationally, honing his craft. It was inevitable that his love of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir would eventually see him settle on the Mornington Peninsula. Montalto’s three wine labels are drawn from five different vineyards across the Mornington Peninsula. Simon Black explains how the wines relate: “To use an analogy, the Single Vineyard wines are like the principal soloists in an orchestra; each is unique in their offering. Years of innovative trial work in the winery has given us the knowledge required to capture the hallmark qualities and personality from these sites. The Montalto wines are more like the orchestra, where all the musicians come together to create a multilayered symphony. These wines are crafted from our best parcels of fruit from our vineyards across the Peninsula. The Pennon Hill wines are all about drinkability. They showcase all the qualities that the Mornington Peninsula is best known for – perfume, purity, varietal expression and brightness.”