our story
With over 30 years of winemaking experience, David is a senior wine show judge with 20 years of experience across both regional, capital city shows and was the Chairman of Judges for the National Wine show of Australia from 2019 to 2023.
Completing winemaking studies at Roseworthy College together in 1993, David came back to the Yarra at De Bortoli Wines to a new winemaking position while Nicky headed to Seppelt Great Western.
After a 10 year tenure, which included added winemaking stints in Burgundy (Louis Latour), Alsace (Paul Blanck) and Beaujolais (Chateau Bluizard), Dave decided to move on across the valley to Oakridge Wines in 2002. Nicky’s first vintage in the Yarra was vineyard manager at Coldstream Hills in 1997 and maintained that role until 2001.
Fast forward to the present day at Oakridge, where he still is the Chief Winemaker, Oakridge was awarded the number one winery in Australia by both the Halliday Wine Companion and Houn Hooke’s Real Review in 2023. Along the way, other highlights included David as co-founder of the Pinot Workshop (2002), duxing the Len Evans Tutorial (2005) and being named the Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2017.
Missing from this as an itch to scratch. To have the ultimate busman's holiday and create and make their own wine and brand of their own.
In 2011, viticulturist Ray Guerin rang David and asked him if he was interested in buying some fruit from the the legendary site Bastard Hill in Gladysdale. And from that opportunity, bicknellfc was born, with the idea of making random wines from vineyards of interesting provenance.
Over the next 3 years, wines were made from both Yarra Valley and Gippsland resulting in bicknellfc winning the Best New Winery at the Halliday Wine Awards in 2016.
During 2014, they were able to lease the pocket sized vineyard next door to Bastard Hill owned by Val Stewart. This became the focal point of the business for the next 10 years - growing and making chardonnay and pinot noir, under the ‘applecross’ label.
A third wine was introduced and the only wine made in 2023, a small quantity of syrah from the Marianna vineyard in Coldstream.
The chardonnay and pinot noir from Val’s vineyard in 2022, are the final year we produced from this site, the Pinot Noir is still available for purchase online and locally.
Lance Vineyard - St Andrews
Founded in 1975 by David and Catherine Lance this distinguished site has been making high quality wines across two generations since its first release 1982. Sited in a natural amphitheatre ranging between 190 - 230 metres ASL in the thin rocky soils of St Andrews. Initial plantings were to Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1976, followed by chardonnay in 1984 and further plantings of pinot noir in 1989, 1998 and 2003. All of these older blocks are planted on their own roots. The 1989 planting is notable as one of the first high density planting of pinot noir in the country at 8,300 plants per hectare, more than 2.5 times the density than the original and more conventional plantings. More recently two more high density blocks have been added planted on rootstocks; more pinot noir in 2021 and chardonnay in 2022. Sadly, the Lance’s decided it was time to sell the vineyard in late 2024 and we are now working with the new owners to continue buying the grapes beyond 2025.
