David Bicknell’s unceremonious axing from Oakridge came as something of a bombshell. The Yarra Valley estate’s owner, Endeavour Group, had announced a couple of months previously that it was selling up. But it seemed improbable that the man who’d led it for a quarter of a century and put it on the map as a trophy magnet for site-specific, cool-climate wines would be tipped out.

Given his reputation for forthright opinions and headline-grabbing wines, Dave has hitherto remained a somewhat private person. Indeed, I had never met or spoken to him before lining this interview up. His public profile has risen since news broke of his departure, but it seemed odd to me that very little of what I knew had come straight from the horse’s mouth.

Among myriad accomplishments, Dave was dux of the Len Evans Tutorial in 2005, was crowned Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year in 2017, co-founded the influential Pinot Massif workshop and has chaired countless wine shows, including the National Wine Show of Australia.

He joined Oakridge in 2002 and led it to countless wins on the wine show circuit. In the wake of the regal trailblazers of the Yarra Valley—the likes of Mount Mary, Yeringberg, Yarra Yering and Wantirna Estate—the likes of Oakridge and Giant Steps seemed to go toe-to-toe in elevating appreciation of the Yarra’s potential to express exceptional vineyards. Sites like Henk, Hazeldene, Willowlake, Lusatia Park and Funder & Diamond seemed to become household names thanks in large part to these efforts.

In this episode, Dave and I talk about Oakridge’s trajectory with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Adrian Rodda (A. Rodda, Beechworth), Tim Perrin (Port Phillip Estate/Kooyong, Mornington Peninsula), Marty Singh (Precipice, Yarra Valley) and Tim Dexter, son of Mornington Peninsula vigneron Tod, are among team members singled out in our chat.

In episode 11, Steve Flamsteed spoke about his student days living with Dave and his viticulturist wife, Nicky Harris (the other half of Bicknell F.C.). Steve is another co-founder of Pinot Massif, and there is plenty more background on this workshop in his episode. The rise of Giant Steps in tandem with Oakridge was in part driven by this rivalry between the best of friends.

Not for the first time on Vininspo!, Steve Webber of De Bortoli is given due credit here for his mentorship. You’ll find more about the crop of talent at this Yarra estate in my interview with former alumnus Sarah Fagan. From Dave’s Roseworthy days, Pat Iland garners a special mention. He is serially credited among my interviewees, turning up in conversations with Ginny Willcock and Julian Langworthy, among others.

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