While working in Galicia, Jo Perry earned the name ‘Dormilona’, or ‘lazy bones’, for failing to keep up with her team’s fiesta lifestyle. In truth, she was exhausted from chasing early morning surf breaks—that, and spending tireless hours honing her craft. Perry has embraced the moniker ever since, despite her second-to-none work ethic leading a pioneering winery in Margaret River and winning the coveted Australian Young Gun of Wine award in 2016.

Prior to establishing Dormilona in 2012, Perry’s thirst for knowledge and experience took her not only to Spain, but also France, America, New Zealand, across Eastern Australia and finally back to Margaret River. Nearly 20 vintages across the world have given Perry the clarity and confidence to allow her intuition to dictate her growing and winemaking. This natural and nurturing ethos allows the grapes and the place to speak clearly, and so minimal-intervention winemaking is key. As you might expect, growing practice comes along hand-in-hand with this commitment, and all the Dormilona wines are made with fruit farmed with organic and/or biodynamic principles.

Dormilona currently have three layers of limited release wines to their offering. The Clayface range is a collection of layered, savoury and mineral Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Chenin Blancs; each raised in Italian terracotta (flat-bottomed, handmade amphorae, originally made by Jo’s aunty). Dormilona are the Estate wines: single-site, classic drinking with benchmark quality and precision. While Perry’s ‘House Wines’ collection is a playful suite which includes some pét-nat and plenty of fun with whole-bunch, amphorae, open-fermenters and skins.