Former chef and sommelier, David Chapman founded Allies in 2003. Having honed his craft at Moorooduc Estate, now his mission is to handcraft rich, silky and perfumed Pinot Noir that embodies the spirit of the Mornington Peninsula region.

David’s approach to organic farming is pragmatic, what the French call ‘Lutte Raisonnée’, which means chemicals are only used as a last resort if utterly necessary. It is based on the belief that healthy living soils rich with organic matter yield strong, healthy vines, which can fight disease on their own.

David’s intentional winemaking is guided by the belief that when just ripe, fruit is perfect and any intervention has the potential to make it less so. Everything is hand harvested and sorted, cold soaked for a few days, fermented warm then left on skins for soft tannins, and carefully basket pressed to maintain the highest quality.