With 25+ years of winemaking experience, Jim Chatto is also a senior wine show judge with over 20 years of experience across both regional, capital city shows and was the Chairman of Judges for the National Wine Show of Australia 2014-2016.
In 1998 Jim moved to Tasmania as the inaugural winemaker for Rosevears Estate in the Tamar Valley. He fell in love with Tasmanian Pinot Noir, and a girl called Daisy.
In 2000 Jim and Daisy left Tasmania for the Hunter Valley, but began the Chatto label to continue the affair with Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
We then spent the next six years searching for the perfect vineyard site. Isle vineyard is located in Huon Valley at Glaziers Bay. Warm, well-drained but in a very cool region, right on the edge of viticultural possibility. Planting began in 2007 and our first vintage (2012) was released in 2013. In 2014 the fruit quality from pockets of the vineyard saw the introduction of the single vineyard Isle label. Currently only making two wines, in relatively small quantities, it is usual for us to sell out well before the next release. We finally returned to live full time at Isle Vineyard in January, 2017. This was the first year our wine was made on site. (Previously we had shipped the fruit up to the Hunter Valley where the winemaking occurred, most recently at Mount Pleasant.)
We then spent the next six years searching for the perfect vineyard site. Isle vineyard is located in Huon Valley at Glaziers Bay. Warm, well-drained but in a very cool region, right on the edge of viticultural possibility. Planting began in 2007 and our first vintage (2012) was released in 2013. In 2014 the fruit quality from pockets of the vineyard saw the introduction of the single vineyard Isle label. Currently only making two wines, in relatively small quantities, it is usual for us to sell out well before the next release. We finally returned to live full time at Isle Vineyard in January, 2017. This was the first year our wine was made on site. (Previously we had shipped the fruit up to the Hunter Valley where the winemaking occurred, most recently at Mount Pleasant.)
