Wilimee Wines
Macedon Ranges, Australia
Brand Overview
Wilimee is a boutique, single-vineyard winery dedicated to expressing the unique character of ancient soils through organic and biodynamic farming practices. Founded in 1982 and revitalized by Ben Ranken in 2013, Wilimee crafts wines with meticulous care, low yields, and minimal intervention to showcase the true terroir of the Macedon Ranges.
The vineyard sits at 600 meters above sea level on Cambrian soils, adjacent to the sacred Wilimee Mooring quarry, a 1,500-year-old Aboriginal site. Annual production is extremely limited—less than 400 cases, all hand-picked and hand-crafted. Wines undergo natural fermentation, with no filtering, fining, or additives beyond minimal sulfites.
Wilimee produces two distinct expressions reflecting the vineyard’s soils:
Chardonnay from Cambrian soil (1.5 kg/vine)
Pinot Noir from Granite soil (500 g/vine)
The winery also experiments with water-aging Pinot Noir, producing a rare vintage designed for long-term development.
Awards & Recognition
2021 Vigneron Award, Young Guns of Wine: Ben Ranken recognized as one of Australia’s top young winemakers for innovation, sustainability, and craftsmanship.
Featured among Australia’s most exciting new wine projects for its dedication to terroir-driven wines.
Winemaker – Ben Ranken
Ben purchased Wilimee in 2013 and immediately set about restoring the vineyard using regenerative agricultural practices. His philosophy blends environmental stewardship with a pursuit of purity in fruit expression. Ben’s work includes careful grafting of Pinot Noir onto Chardonnay and vice versa, meticulous dry farming, and a focus on low yields for exceptional quality.
Wine Style & Production
Chardonnay – vibrant, expressive, and reflective of Cambrian soil
Pinot Noir – nuanced, layered, and reflective of Granite soil
Minimal intervention: natural ferment, spontaneous malolactic fermentation, old & new oak influence only
Extremely limited production: ~250 dozen Chardonnay, ~75 dozen Pinot Noir (including water-aged vintages)
Wilimee is about the “simple life,” focusing on purity, place, and reverence for the ancient soils that inspire each bottle.