Crittenden Estate
Mornington Peninsula , Victoria
Brands
Cri de Coeur, The Zumma, Kangerong, Peninsula, Geppetto
Winery Overview
Crittenden Estate is one of the Mornington Peninsula’s oldest and most iconic wineries. It is one of the regions few multigenerational wineries in the region which has been continuously family owned and operated since its inception.
Garry Crittenden established the business in the early 1980s and forged a new path for local winemakers. Producing cool climate favourites like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also introducing Italian varieties, he was considered by many to be a winemaking pioneer. With a childhood spent growing up in the vineyard and working vintages both for the family and for iconic producers in Oregon, California and Italy, it was almost inevitable Garry’s son Rollo would eventually take over the reins of Crittenden as winemaker. This is now the case, with Rollo having assumed the winemaking responsibilities in 2007.
The Crittendens are passionate about farming sustainably and have abandoned the conventional use of chemicals in the vineyard. Soil management now involves, amongst other things, inter-row cover cropping and a composting regime. Winemaker Rollo Crittenden credits the quality of his wine to these innovative techniques, which has vastly improved the soil and in turn the fruit and wine.
Regardless of origin, variety or style there is one thing that is always at the forefront of the Crittenden family’s winemaking endeavours, and that is the unwavering desire to make quality wines which always over deliver on price.
“The tenure of Rollo Crittenden is something else” Mike Bennie, Wine Front
"One of the most remarkable wines crafted in Australia." Jane Faulkner on the Cri de Coeur Savagnin.
Seeking Distribution in
Canada, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, USA, Vietnam
Winemaker Bio
As a second generation winemaker, Rollo Crittenden has been privileged to work in some of the worlds most acclaimed wineries and wine regions.
After studying Winemaking at Charles Sturt University he completed vintages in California, Oregon, Italy and the Hunter Valley. He then commenced full time work with Dromana Estate on the Mornington Peninsula where in 2003 he was promoted to the position of head winemaker. During his time at Dromana Estate Rollo achieved many accolades for the wines he produced, as well as having the honour of judging at several Australian wine shows.
In 2007, at the age of 30, Rollo returned to the family business (Crittenden Estate) to a now mature vineyard that he helped plant as a child some 25 years earlier. In his role as winemaker Rollo took over responsibility for producing classic French and Italian varieties from around Victoria under the family’s Crittenden Estate and Pinocchio labels. Soon after his return to the family business Rollo also embarked on a project to create Spanish style wines under the Los Hermanos label – some of which helped him achieve the honour of being named the 2010 Australian ‘Young Gun’ Winemaker of the year.
His wines continue to garner high acclaim with James Halliday recently describing Crittenden Estate as “an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality”. Rollo also currently the sits on the industry’s national peak body, Grape and Wine Australia is the president of MP Wine (formerly the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association).
