The story of Below&Above begins with a family's love with Pemberton's majestic landscape. John and Evdokia Klepec first discovered this pristine corner of Western Australia as a holiday destination for their young family. Beneath the towering Karri forests and amid the region's untouched beauty, they found themselves drawn to the exceptional terroir, their love of both pinot noir & truffles.

How we started

In 2012, when the opportunity arose to acquire an established vineyard in Pemberton's prestigious Eastbrook sub-region, John and Evdokia embraced the chance to become stewards of this exceptional land. The property, now known as Thella Estate, had already earned recognition as one of Western Australia's premier wine-growing sites since its initial planting in the mid-1990s.

Under the guidance of renowned winemaker Bruce Dukes, 2013 at the first vintage marked the birth of the Below&Above label in 2017—a name that would soon become synonymous with excellence in both wine and truffle production.

Expanding the Dream

The Klepecs' vision expanded in 2014 with the acquisition of a second property in Smithbrook. This land, traditionally known as Walkalwararup by its Indigenous custodians, holds deep cultural significance as "the place where the Dreamtime water serpent came from the earth." This name reflects the property's abundant, naturally low-salinity water sources—a crucial element for truffle  cultivation