Dappled Yarra Valley was established in 2009 by winemaker Shaun Crinion. The wines are made with a generally hands-off philosophy, using minimal added sulphur to encourage wild-yeast fermentation and natural malolactic conversion. Only modest amounts of new oak are used across the range, and the wines are bottled un-fined, with only the Chardonnays receiving a light filtration. Some whole-bunch inclusion is used in the red wines. The fruit is sourced from vineyards in the Yarra Valley, both the upper sites and the valley floor, all of it purchased fruit grown with sustainable viticulture. Vine density averages around 2,500 vines per hectare, and the wines are made to be vegan-friendly.

Shaun has worked as both a winemaker and assistant winemaker for more than a decade, always staying close to his “cellar rat” roots. This grounding in hands-on work, both in the vineyard and the cellar, has shaped a traditional, craft-driven approach to his winemaking. Dappled exists to produce high-quality, unadulterated wines from special sites at realistic prices, originally intended for Shaun’s family and friends. The minimal-intervention philosophy that made sense in the beginning continues to define the wines today.

Shaun’s introduction to wine came in 1999, working with his winemaker uncle at Laetitia Vineyard & Winery on California’s central coast. His career since then has covered an impressive list of top wineries: Devil’s Lair in Margaret River and Corbett Canyon Vineyard in California in 2000; Houghton in Middle Swan in 2002; De Bortoli in the Hunter Valley in 2003; Pipers Brook in Tasmania from 2004 to 2006; Bay of Fires in 2006; Williams Selyem in California in 2006–07; Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley in 2008; Domaine de Montille in Burgundy in 2010; and Dappled Wines from 2009 to today, alongside part-time work for Rob Dolan. According to James Halliday, Shaun’s long-term ambition is to one day buy or establish his own vineyard.