Pol Roger expands Australia portfolio with first producer from Victoria

Pol Roger Portfolio has added a dynamic young wine producer from Geelong, Victoria – the first from the region in its portfolio – as it continues to expand its representation of Australian wine. 

Mulline Vintners was established in 2018 by winemaker Ben Mullen and his partner, business manager Ben Hine with the aim to create a range of single vineyard wines in the relatively undiscovered Geelong region of Victoria. The couple source grapes for their own label from some of the best parcels in Geelong’s diverse subregions: the Moorabool Valley to the west, the Bellarine Peninsula to the south-east, and the Surf Coast to the south-west.

The inaugural 2019 vintage “heralded a truly compelling style of wine that firmly puts Geelong on the fine wine map”, Pol Roger said.

James Simpson, managing director of Pol Roger Portfolio, said the team had been “wowed” by the duo’s enthusiasm and love for the Geelong region and called it “one of the most exciting projects in Australia right now”.

“The new wave of Australian producers are now starting to receive the international attention they deserve and we were particularly impressed and inspired by Mulline’s commitment to showing the best of their parcels in the most sustainable way possible,” he said. “This is one of the most exciting projects in Australia right now, and we’re eager to spread the word about their wines and region.”

The range now comprises a Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Riesling and Pinot Gris which been vinified to create graceful, elegant and balanced wines “with definition and freshness that bring new ardour and vitality to the Geelong region”.

Ben Mullen, winemaker and proprietor of Mulline Vintners has previously worked at Torbreck in Barossa Valley, Yarra Yering and Oakridge in Yarra Valley, Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay and Clyde Park in Bannockburn, but says it was his time at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy that influenced him to focus on a style of wine that truly evokes a sense of place.

He said he was delighted to be partnering with Pol Roger Portfolio noting that despite being a young brand, Mulline Vintners has established itself as a “consistent, high quality and innovative producer”.

“These attributes perfectly mirror Pol Roger Portfolio’s adventurous and dynamic spirit and we look forward to contributing to the interest and growth in a new style of Australian wines among Pol Roger Portfolio’s valued clients,” he said.

The estate has a strong commitment to sustainability, operating an entirely paper-free office, and investing in carbon neutral partnerships, recyclable packaging, grape waste repurposing, electric vehicle delivery and the adoption of solar power. It is  also a passionate supporter of gender and racial equality, and the LGBTI community.

It follows the addition of Voyager Estate last month, the agency’s first venture into the Margaret River region in Western Australia, which Voyager’s owner Alexandra Burt said would assist Voyager Estate in “deepening its ties with the UK trade and consumers”.

Other family-owned producers in the Pol Roger Portfolio include Champagne Pol Roger, Maison Joseph Drouhin, the UK’s Cornell Vineyards, Bryant Estate, Robert Sinskey Vineyards, Staglin Family Vineyard, Abreu, Gallica, Kinsman Eades, TOR, Casanova di Neri, Dal Forno Romano, Domaine Vacheron and Bodegas Artadi. It also has Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt and Tennessee whiskey Leiper’s Fork Distillery which joined in October.