Beechworth-born Chris Catlow was barely a teenager when he started “mucking around” in the vineyard at Sorrenberg. It was at Barry Morey’s encouragement that he later pursued a career in winemaking, too.
After his first official vintage at Sorrenberg, and degrees in viticulture and wine science from La Trobe, Chris spent seven years on the Mornington Peninsula, working first with Lindsay McCall at Paringa and then Portsea Estate as well as Kooyong Estate and Port Phillip Estate, where he met Sandro Mosele who was “a great person to learn from”.
“Sandro exposed me to many aspects of the industry, but what I learnt about most from him philosophically was single-site wines,” Chris says. “The idea that each block can be different and that they should be looked at differently and treated differently and they'll show you different parts of wine.
“That was probably what captivated me to the most to start my own brand,” he adds. “Although he also introduced me to Burgundy, which I kind of hate him for – it’s cost me a lot of money!”
In 2013, in between the first of five vintages Chris would spend in Burgundy with Benjamin Laroux, while also helping James McLaurin at Golden Ball, and funding it all by working as a chippie and tiler for his mate’s building business, he made the first Sentiō wine – a shiraz, despite his influences.
He counts the following year as the label’s first proper vintage, though. Back in Beechworth with his own winery set-up, 2014 saw his second shiraz release from the Golden Ball vineyard alongside three single-site chardonnays from Beechworth, Macedon Ranges and the Yarra Valley.
Since then, chardonnay has been Sentiō’s most consistent offering. Between 2015 and ’18, he sourced shiraz from his dad’s vineyard, until it died and he stopped making it completely. In ’19, he added varietal gamay and aligoté to the lineup, replacing what had previously been his ‘Beechworth Blanc’ and ‘Rouge’ blends. Shiraz returned in ’23, and he also makes pinot noir and nebbiolo.
Much of the variation has been driven by availability. “It’s very hard if you're predominantly negociant, buying fruit, to get continuity in your wines,” Chris says. “I decided early on that I would build a winery and business before I’d plant a vineyard, and it’s been good, but it’s certainly time to buy a bit of land and give Sentio a home.”
He does farm three sites himself in Beechworth, now – Black Springs, alongside Foreign Friends’ Leila Davis – as well as two brand new sites. Predominantly chardonnay, with some sangiovese planted, too. The goal is for Sentiō to be mostly Beechworth, except for the gamay and aligoté which he’ll continue to source from King Valley.
Release / philosophy
After his first official vintage at Sorrenberg, and degrees in viticulture and wine science from La Trobe, Chris spent seven years on the Mornington Peninsula, working first with Lindsay McCall at Paringa and then Portsea Estate as well as Kooyong Estate and Port Phillip Estate, where he met Sandro Mosele who was “a great person to learn from”.
“Sandro exposed me to many aspects of the industry, but what I learnt about most from him philosophically was single-site wines,” Chris says. “The idea that each block can be different and that they should be looked at differently and treated differently and they'll show you different parts of wine.
“That was probably what captivated me to the most to start my own brand,” he adds. “Although he also introduced me to Burgundy, which I kind of hate him for – it’s cost me a lot of money!”
In 2013, in between the first of five vintages Chris would spend in Burgundy with Benjamin Laroux, while also helping James McLaurin at Golden Ball, and funding it all by working as a chippie and tiler for his mate’s building business, he made the first Sentiō wine – a shiraz, despite his influences.
He counts the following year as the label’s first proper vintage, though. Back in Beechworth with his own winery set-up, 2014 saw his second shiraz release from the Golden Ball vineyard alongside three single-site chardonnays from Beechworth, Macedon Ranges and the Yarra Valley.
Since then, chardonnay has been Sentiō’s most consistent offering. Between 2015 and ’18, he sourced shiraz from his dad’s vineyard, until it died and he stopped making it completely. In ’19, he added varietal gamay and aligoté to the lineup, replacing what had previously been his ‘Beechworth Blanc’ and ‘Rouge’ blends. Shiraz returned in ’23, and he also makes pinot noir and nebbiolo.
Much of the variation has been driven by availability. “It’s very hard if you're predominantly negociant, buying fruit, to get continuity in your wines,” Chris says. “I decided early on that I would build a winery and business before I’d plant a vineyard, and it’s been good, but it’s certainly time to buy a bit of land and give Sentio a home.”
He does farm three sites himself in Beechworth, now – Black Springs, alongside Foreign Friends’ Leila Davis – as well as two brand new sites. Predominantly chardonnay, with some sangiovese planted, too. The goal is for Sentiō to be mostly Beechworth, except for the gamay and aligoté which he’ll continue to source from King Valley.
Release / philosophy
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