Our Story
Founded by Ross Doonan and family in the early 2000s, Highland Spring was born from Ross’s passion and vision of making exceptional cool climate Pinot Noir. Ross started with 60 acres in Wingello, New South Wales in 1998, quickly named Highland Spring after the permanent natural spring that runs through the property.
While the family was enchanted by the property’s natural beauty and fairy tale quality, from the established, pine tree-lined driveway, to the toadstools that appear in Autumn, Ross was taken by its distinctive terroir, setting the stage for the making of exceptional wine.
Starting with a blank canvas, Ross, his wife Alison and their three daughters set to work enriching the soil with crushed limestone and planted vines by hand, trialling a range of varieties with an emphasis on Pinot Noir. Friends and extended family often joined in the vineyard, particularly around picking time.
Highland Spring crafted its distinctive flavour over many years, inspired by the bold yet refined Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, France, and reflecting the property’s unique characteristics. Concentrated on two blocks, the vineyard is tended by hand, allowing for precise management, gentle handling and careful fruit selection. With each season, Highland Spring continues to flourish, offering a sophisticated range of wines that captures the essence of the Southern Highlands region.
Our Vineyard
Situated in the picturesque Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Highland Spring was carefully chosen for its ideal position and distinctive terroir, signalling its capacity to produce wines of exceptional quality. At 640 metres above sea level, it is both the southernmost and one of the most elevated vineyards in the region, offering a cool climate and long ripening season ideally suited to varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.
The vineyard’s soils combine rich red basalt with crushed limestone, a structure that mirrors the renowned terroir of Burgundy. This mineral-rich foundation contributes depth, balance and elegance to the wines, while a permanent natural spring provides a pure and consistent water source to sustain healthy vine growth.
Pinot Noir is the hallmark of Highland Spring, with clonal selection playing a central role in its winemaking philosophy. By cultivating a refined mix of clones, including 114, 115, 667 and the Burgundian 777, the vineyard achieves complexity across fruit expression, fine tannin structure and layered textures, producing wines of longevity and distinction. Pinot Gris also flourishes in this environment, yielding wines marked by freshness and varietal character.
With its elevation, soil, water and carefully managed plantings, Highland Spring offers a site uniquely suited to crafting wines of structure, elegance and regional distinction.
Sustainability
Highland Spring is committed to making a positive contribution to the natural environment, and its vineyards thrive due to the healthy ecosystem surrounding them.
Allowing grass to grow under the vines builds up soil carbon, preventing erosion, building a habitat for beneficial insects and retaining moisture. Biodiversity plots provide habitats and food for beneficial insects, including burseria spinosa, which is the main carbohydrate for the beneficial wasps.
Herbicides and insecticides are not used in the vineyard. Sprays for light brown apple moth have been eliminated by the use of pheromone ties. Chewing insects are carefully targeted to ensure beneficial insects are not harmed.
At Highland Spring, disease and fungicide control is primarily carried out using sulfur and copper, both organic materials that are used in France.