Maritime Estate

Maritime Estate is the venture of the Ruljancich family since brothers John and Kevin purchased the property in 1993. Plantings were expanded in '95 to their present level of 2.7ha of MV6, 114, 115 and 777 clones of pinot noir, 1ha of chardonnay and 0.8ha of pinot gris. The family's involvement with wine dates back to the early 1800s, with vines on the tiny Dalmatian island of Vis, Croatia. The Ruljancichs migrated to Australia in 1946, but the vineyard on Vis was still being attended until the '80s by John and Kevin's uncle. John died in 2007, but the business continues on under the care of Kevin and John's children, Jane, Paul and Sally. -JAMES HALLIDAY