Established 1968 by the legendary Melbourne restaurateur Tom Lazar, Virgin Hills is the gem of the Macedon Ranges, one of Australia's iconic vineyards. He planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, Malbec, Merlot and Pinot Noir, with a view to creating an Australian first growth to rival the great Bordeaux he had grown to love while working as a sculptor in Paris. Only one wine is bottled under the Virgin Hills label each year. From inaugural release, the cepage of varietals has varied subtly each vintage, adding to the mystique and complexity of Virgin Hills.

The Virgin Hills property suffers from frosts and occasional snow at both ends of the season, budburst and harvest time. The site has always delivered low yields of half to 1½ tonnes per acre, due to the tough climactic conditions and dry grown grapes. To this day, it bears the viticultural classification of marginal vineyard. After spending a vintage in the Coonawarra with Owen Redman, Tommy Lazar produced the first Virgin Hills vintage. A blend of all his varieties, it stood out among Australian wines as being uncharacteristically subtle. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, Merlot and Malbec grapes are picked off vines over forty years of age, to be vinified and aged in a selection of exclusively French oak barrels.