A Homecoming to the Edge of the World
R. D'Meure is one of Australia's most southerly planted vineyards — a tiny, one-hectare estate perched on the shores of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel at Flowerpot, Tasmania. [^49^] Planted in 1991 by Dirk Meure — a former academic lawyer who returned to Tasmania after 30 years in England — the vineyard is a testament to a hands-on, holistic approach that prioritises the health of the land and a non-interventionist philosophy in winemaking. [^49^] [^33^] Since 2004, the vineyard has been managed organically: no systemic sprays, no herbicides, no pesticides. [^49^] In 2020, Dirk's nephew Rory Duggan — who had spent years working alongside his uncle and at Stefano Lubiana — returned to take the reins, forging a partnership grounded in experience and tradition, infused with youth, curiosity, and a shared freedom to honour the craft. [^49^] The wines are wild fermented, made without any additions, fining, or filtration. Only a small dose of sulphur at bottling is added if required. [^49^] This is wine as close to nature as it gets.
From Cambridge Halls to Tasmanian Vines
Dirk Meure left Tasmania for England in September 1970 at the start of what became a thirty-year career as an academic lawyer. [^49^] Sampling old vintages in the halls of Cambridge and beyond led him to consider the pleasures of an agricultural retirement. In August 2000, he returned to Tasmania to become a winegrower on a tiny vineyard planted in 1991 at Flowerpot on the shores of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel — a coastal region first explored by Bruny D'Entrecasteaux, a century after Abel Tasman discovered the island. [^49^]
This was also the part of Tasmania where Dirk's parents had settled on their arrival from The Netherlands in 1950, and where he spent his childhood in what was then a predominantly small fruit and apple-growing region. [^49^] Reflecting on his past, this represented a sort of "homecoming" — or "le demeurer de la demeure," a French phrase that, while untranslatable, is deeply suggestive and prompted the playful name for the vineyard and wines: "d'meure." [^49^]
It was during this time that Rory Duggan set down in Tasmania with little idea that grape growing would be his future. University, studies, and travel all preceded the urge to join his uncle in nurturing vines and guiding the wines through the seasons. [^49^] After 15 years of reinvigorating the land and converting the practices to organic principles, Dirk "re-retired" to the south coast of New South Wales, while Rory stayed on and went to work for Stefano Lubiana — Tasmania's first certified biodynamic vineyard. [^49^]
Several years passed as Dirk enjoyed the fruits of his time in the vines, while Rory forged his own path — deepening his understanding of vineyard work and the rhythms of the seasons, all the while quietly dreaming of the day he might cultivate a site of his own. [^49^] That opportunity came when Antipodes was in need of a caretaker, and Rory was ready to embark on his own journey into wine. Guided by many of the same principles as Dirk, and blending them with his own evolving philosophy, Rory's wines showed complexity and character from the very first vintage. [^49^]
Over long lunches and industry gatherings, Dirk and Rory came to admire each other's wines — and to many, it felt inevitable that they would one day collaborate. In early 2020, that opportunity arrived when Dirk was offered the chance to buy back the vineyard at Fleurty's Lane. And so began a partnership grounded in experience and tradition, infused with youth, curiosity, and a shared freedom to honour the craft — and the way of wine. [^49^] The journey is only just beginning.
"This represented a sort of 'homecoming' or 'le demeurer de la demeure' which while untranslatable from French is very suggestive and prompted the playful name for the vineyard and wines 'd'meure'."
— Dirk Meure
One Hectare, One of Australia's Most Southerly
The vineyard and winery are situated on the shores of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, overlooking Bruny Island, approximately 40 kilometres south of Hobart. [^49^] It is one of Australia's most southerly planted vineyards — a distinction that shapes everything about the wine. The cool-climate location ensures gradual, balanced fruit ripening, while proximity to the shoreline provides natural protection from frost. [^49^]
The vines were planted in 1991 on a gentle north/south-facing slope, with good protection from the prevailing westerly winds provided by the surrounding hills. [^49^] The soils are brown and yellow duplex soils formed on basalt and Jurassic dolerite, consisting of sandy loam topsoil over a heavy clay subsoil. [^33^] This combination provides good drainage while retaining essential moisture. The area receives an average of 850mm of annual rainfall, eliminating the need for irrigation. [^33^]
The plantings total just one hectare and consist primarily of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with some Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Merlot. [^49^] The vines are closely planted at a density of 8,000 vines per hectare — very high for Australia — and are single-guyot pruned, a method that balances the vine's growth and fruit production. [^33^] [^44^]
No systemic sprays or herbicides have been used in the vineyard since 2004. [^49^] The team focuses on building soil health, attracting beneficial insects, and encouraging biodiversity. This results in a vibrant, living ecosystem within the vineyard — a place where the vines, the soil, and the surrounding bushland exist in harmony. [^33^]
Located at Flowerpot, ~40km south of Hobart, overlooking Bruny Island. [^49^] One of Australia's most southerly planted vineyards. [^49^] Cool-climate maritime influence: gradual, balanced ripening; natural frost protection from the shoreline. [^49^] North/south-facing slope with protection from prevailing westerly winds. [^49^]
Brown and yellow duplex soils formed on basalt and Jurassic dolerite. [^33^] Sandy loam topsoil over heavy clay subsoil — good drainage with essential moisture retention. [^33^] ~850mm annual rainfall, no irrigation required. [^33^] The soil and mesoclimate are key factors in the character of the wines produced.
8,000 vines per hectare — very high density for Australia. [^33^] [^44^] Single-guyot pruning system balances growth and fruit production. [^33^] Varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot. [^49^] Just one hectare total — every vine is known, every bunch is considered.
No systemic sprays, herbicides, or pesticides since 2004. [^49^] Focus on soil health, beneficial insects, and biodiversity. [^33^] A vibrant, living ecosystem where vineyard and bushland coexist. The approach is holistic — the health of the land is inseparable from the quality of the wine.
Nothing Added, Nothing Taken Away
The winemaking philosophy at R. D'Meure can be summarised in one principle: minimal intervention. The goal is to allow the quality of the fruit to express itself without manipulation. [^33^] This is not a marketing angle. It is the entire operating system.
The wines are wild fermented — indigenous yeasts naturally present on the grapes and in the winery drive fermentation, contributing greater complexity and a more authentic representation of the vineyard's microbial terroir. [^33^] No commercial acids, tannins, or enzymes are added. [^33^] Fining and filtration are avoided to retain all the natural flavour and textural components of the wine. [^33^] The only addition, if necessary, is a minimal amount of sulphur dioxide at bottling to ensure stability and preservation. [^33^]
The winemaking is deliberately low-tech. The process relies on patient, hands-off management, allowing the wine to mature naturally. [^33^] New oak is minimal or nonexistent to avoid imparting foreign flavours that would mask the inherent fruit and terroir expression. [^33^] This allows the wine's natural complexities to develop over time. The result is wines that are a pure expression of their vintage and origin — unadorned, unfiltered, and utterly honest.
Rory Duggan is described by Mike Bennie as "a gun winemaker shaking things up in Tasmania, producing idiosyncratic but formidable wines — all hits." [^44^] The wines come from "a left of centre place to most in Tas, but with a steady hand and keen eye the wines work out as primo while being of a gentle touch and less is more mantra." [^44^] Skin contact is embraced where appropriate — two weeks for the Coal Valley Riesling, 80% whole bunches for the Estate Pinot Noir — but always in service of the fruit, never as a gimmick. [^44^]
The 2021 'Estate' Chardonnay — 97 Points, Ned Goodwin MW
"This is really excellent. Mid-weighted, imperiously intense of flavour, precise and peering into the minimalist zeitgeist without straying from the edifice of poise and immaculate drinkability. Riffs of yellow plum, cardamon pod, spiced quince, turmeric, washed rind cheese and curry leaf. An aldehydic lilt manifests as flaxen tatami straw and a hint of sour Japanese radish before the fruit flows long and clean. Among the finest Chardonnay from Australia. The love and sense of duty to the land is palpable. Thank you." [^44^] This is not just a great review. It is recognition that minimal intervention, when practised with skill and patience, can produce wines that rival the very best in the country — from a vineyard of just one hectare, farmed by hand, with nothing added and nothing taken away.
Two Generations, One Vineyard, One Way
R. D'Meure is a family story — uncle and nephew, separated by a generation but united by a shared belief in the way of wine. Dirk Meure planted the vineyard, tended it through its first decades, and converted it to organic principles. [^49^] Rory Duggan learned at his uncle's side, then went out into the world — to Stefano Lubiana, to Antipodes — before returning to the family land with fresh eyes and a deepening philosophy. [^49^]
Their partnership, formalised in 2020 when Dirk bought back the vineyard at Fleurty's Lane, is not a handover. It is a collaboration. Dirk's experience and tradition meet Rory's youth, curiosity, and technical refinement. [^49^] Together, they are writing the next chapter of a story that began with a Dutch immigrant family settling in Tasmania in 1950, that passed through Cambridge wine cellars and academic law, and that has now returned to the southern edge of Australia — to a one-hectare vineyard where every decision is made by hand, every wine is wild fermented, and every bottle carries the imprint of a place that is as singular as it is remote.
The wines are not mass-produced. They are tiny-batch, artisan expressions of a specific piece of land — some of the most sought-after natural wines in Australia. [^36^] [^45^] They sell out quickly. They are reviewed by the country's most respected critics. And they are made with a simplicity that belies their complexity: organic fruit, wild yeast, patience, and respect.
The future of R. D'Meure is rooted in the same principles that have defined it since 2004: organic farming, minimal intervention, and the belief that the best wines are the ones that need the least help. With Rory at the helm and Dirk's wisdom still guiding the philosophy, this tiny vineyard on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel is proof that scale is no barrier to greatness.
"Rory Duggan is a gun winemaker shaking things up in Tasmania, producing idiosyncratic but formidable wines — all hits."
— Mike Bennie, The Winefront
The R. D'Meure Range
R. D'Meure produces a small, tightly curated portfolio of wild-fermented, minimal-intervention wines from its one-hectare estate vineyard and select sourced fruit from across Tasmania. The wines are made without additions, fining, or filtration — only a minimal dose of sulphur at bottling if required. [^49^] They are among Australia's most sought-after natural wines, released in tiny quantities and selling out quickly. [^36^] [^45^] All wines are hand-harvested, patiently made, and released with time to spare. Prices are approximate and in AUD.