The first vines were planted at the Fighting Gully Road vineyard site in 1997. The farm, mostly unimproved, was purchased in 1995 and the following two years were spent clearing the property of scrub, stumps and many thousands of rabbits. After establishing a vineyard on colluvial slopes overlooking the Ovens river valley with his brothers in 1988, Marks interest in even cooler climate viticulture led him to elevated Beechworth plateau that can be clearly seen from the original vineyard. Cabernet Sauvignon and a small plot of Merlot were the first vines planted, followed by Pinot Noir in the following year. The site rises up to the top of the escarpment above the Murmungee basin, to the south of the town of Beechworth. The north and west facing lower slopes were planted to the red Bordeaux varieties; while the upper and east facing slopes were planted to Pinot Noir.