A Barossa native, winemaker Ben Mullen brings an impressive winemaking pedigree, having worked at some of the finest wineries around the world, such as Leeuwin Estate (his first vintage, in 2012), Torbreck, Yarra Yering and Oakridge on our shores, as well as Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and Craggy Range, New Zealand. He went to Craggy Range as an assistant winemaker, but he graduated to winemaker at the Hawkes Bay star in only 18 months. Prior to launching Mulline in 2019, he was the chief winemaker at Clyde Park.

“I had always wanted to start a label and make wines 100 per cent to my own style,” says Mullen. “I felt at the stage of starting Mulline that I had found the region that I wanted to work from. Geelong is very suitable to the style of wines I make; lots of aromatics and freshness but also underlying tannin giving really good complexity, and the region is growing some of the best fruit of the main varieties I work with – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc.”

Mulline now has two ranges, a Geelong one that takes in vineyards in the broader region, and the Single Vineyards range. “I want to showcase the vast difference between the subregions of Geelong,” says Mullen, “as I felt there wasn’t enough acknowledged definition between the Geelong, the Moorabool Valley and Bellarine Peninsula. There is no hiding anything when you are making a wine from one site and one single batch, which shows a pure expression of the soil the wine comes from.”

This month’s flight showcases both ranges, with a regional Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir with fruit drawn from across Geelong, as well as a single site Sutherlands Creek Chardonnay, and a single site Portarlington Pinot Noir. All have scored 95+ points in the latest Halliday Wine Companion, with Mulline also being awarded 2025 Best Value Winery of the year.

We can’t wait for you to try these wines from our first ever featured producer from Geelong – an up-and-coming region we think more people in Sydney need to know about!