William Downie is considered the enfant terrible of Australian wine in this century, a young iconoclast who embraced an unconventional vision of winemaking, well before it took root in the emerging generations of winemakers. From the routine of a suburban wine shop in the late nineties, he went on to work for the renowned Bass Phillip, where he developed his obsession with Pinot Noir. He built a great tasting experience, then traveled directly to Burgundy for the 2001 harvest and even became a senior winemaker at the historic and vast De Bortoli company in 2006. In the same period, he enjoyed making some Pinot Noir by vinifying and bottling grapes from the territories of Mornington, Yarra Valley, and Gippsland, until in 2007 he decided to go independent. Downie is the founder of the ambitious Thousand Candles project, alongside Patrick Sullivan: a historic farm spanning 450 hectares and composed of vineyards, pastures, and moorland, representing the archetype of an unspoiled and sustainable environment.
William Downie is therefore the