Upper Southwood Vineyard

Located on a Southwest facing field of Silurian limestone

Vines are particularly well suited to our Silurian limestone, shale and clay terroir. They benefit from the good drainage it provides and are able to push their roots deep to access the water they need. The vineyard site has a 15 to 20 degrees incline to the South, which increases solar radiation and creates an warm microclimate. It is also protected from the cold North and Easterly winds by Pudford Hill and the strong prevailing Westerly winds by Southwood Rise. Pictured here is the vineyard in its second year during the hot and dry Summer of 2022 when the young vines thrived in the heat. 

Why the correct ratio of limestone to clay is important

Many of Burgundy's great vineyards are located on the slopes where the ratio of fractured limestone to clay is just right. Too much clay and the ground becomes waterlogged. Too hard limestone and the roots cannot penetrate deep enough. Upper Southwood is fortunate to sit on a narrow band of well-draining fractured Silurian limestone, mixed with shales and clays, just above the natural spring line. Pictured here is Upper Southwood Aymestry limestone from the top of the vineyard site and yellow clay dug up from the lower levels. 

Silurian Aymestry limestone

The Aymestry limestone and shales date from circa 420 million years ago and are some of the oldest limestones on the planet. It is scattered with brachiopod and occasional orthocone fossils. Pudford Hill was elevated and fractured during the rise of the East Malvern fault over 300 million years ago. Weathering and erosion has washed away superficial lime, but deeper down and at the lower spring sites, rich alkaline lime deposits can be found. Clays form as part of the weathering process and increase in their proportion to limestone from 1/3 above to 2/3 just below the vineyard. The limestone is particularly rich in magnesium, which is an essential element for healthy vines. The magnesium is as high as 1:2 compared to calcium, which is thought to be due to the more stable chemical formula of magnesium carbonate over time. This accounts for a slight pink hue in certain light conditions in a similar way to the Dolomites in Italy. Pictured here are Upper Southwood limestone brachiopod fossils from a shallow terroir pit in the Pinot Noir planting zone.

Site preparation

For many years Upper Southwood has been a happy home to pigs. They love turning over the fields looking for worms and acorns. In the early stages of site preparation we put them to good use turning the field over to aerate and fertilize the top soil. Afterwards, the field was subsoiled down to 2 foot to break up any compacted stone and clays and power harrowed superficially just prior to planting. Last year's middle whites, an old English breed, can be seen here relaxing by the bonfire of brash from an old dead ash tree after a busy day foraging.
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