The winding road back home

Sam’s grandfather, Dr John Middleton, was one of Australian wine’s more out-there guys. The extroverted winemaker founded famed Yarra Valley winery, Mount Mary in 1971, and was known for his elegant wines. Sam grew up surrounded by Australian wine heritage, but it wasn’t until he took off on his own that his passion for wine ignited. He travelled through some of Europe’s great wine regions and worked a ski season in Canada before returning home to study wine science. 

From those early days as an aspiring winemaker, Sam dreamed of one day taking over at Mount Mary. But he never expected it to be handed to him; Sam was determined to earn the job. In 2006 he worked his first vintage at Yarra Valley’s Coldstream Hills winery, and his love of wine really came alive. Over the next few years he built his skills and regional knowledge through various jobs, including working with cool-climate pioneer Dominique Portet, a ninth-generation winemaker from Bordeaux.

In 2011, Sam became head winemaker at Mount Mary. With such strong history and well-established success, the family winery was an institution. It would’ve been easy for Sam to simply maintain the status quo. But to protect and grow the legacy of Mount Mary, he needed to evolve. 

A new chapter of innovation

Sam has helped lead one of the biggest changes in Mount Mary’s history. In 2017, the winery released its Marli Russell wine range. Named after Sam’s grandmother and the co-founder of Mount Mary, these red and white wines feature the traditional varieties of France’s Rhône Valley: Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette, Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. 

The origins of these wines is tradition but the reason behind them is pure innovation. In the late 2000s, the Middleton family planted the new varieties as a way of exploring new potential to create something exciting and diverse, while protecting the future of their vineyards. The Yarra Valley’s environment was ever-changing, perfect for these new varieties. Marli was the inspiration behind the label because of her adventurous nature and passion for “the pursuit of new ideas”.

It’s been a long-term and carefully planned project – typical of the way Sam does things. He’s always ready to embrace change and experimentation, but his execution is meticulously planned. It’s the same care and attention that goes into all his wines. And it’s an approach that’s paying off. Since they were released, the Marli Russell wines have received tremendous acclaim. In August 2017, Mount Mary was named 2018 Winery of the Year by James Halliday, one of the highest honours for an Australian winery. 

Sam inherited his grandfather's , relentless drive for perfection. With great respect for the past, Sam is taking Mount Mary to a whole new level and helping to steer the future of a leading Australian wine region. 

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