By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir 2018
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The Sangreal vineyard was planted in 1994, making it our oldest vineyard. It lies on a north-facing slope and the soil composition is bluestone and overlaying limestone, with red ironstone colouring the surface. This is unlike our other vineyards, which are mostly black volcanic soil with heavy amounts of limestone on the surface. The vine rows run north-south, receiving full sun exposure throughout the day, resulting in more perfumed, prettier wines. This is always the first vineyard to be harvested. The clones used in Sangreal are 114 and 115, which we believe have mutated over time to become the ‘Sangreal clone’, now within its own microclimate.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has a complex and intense red-cherry nose with some sappy elements, as well as blueberries and violets, forest wood and undergrowth. The palate holds good depth and has bold, ripe red cherries that fill the mouth and are wrapped in smoothly curated tannin. Long and satisfyingly rich. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Boasting knockout aromas of herbal, floral, tea-like stems, sous bois, smoked meat and black cherries, the 2018 Sangreal Pinot Noir is a treat just to smell. On the palate, it's medium-bodied and silky textured, smooth and polished in feel, showing ample concentration and length on the finish, which adds hints of orange zest, cranberries and exotic spice. Complex, mouthwatering and elegant, it's a beauty to drink now and over the next 7-8 years.
Other Vintages
2016-
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Wine
Spectator
Gary and Robyn Farr purchased the original property in 1994 and the second section in 1998—this latter had been untouched for almost 40 years and consisted of dense boxthorn and noxious weeds. The final piece of the puzzle, which links the two blocks of land, was purchased by Nick and Cassie Farr in 2011, making a total of 130 acres—of which 36 acres are under vine and the remainder is maintained as grazing and cropping for cattle and horses. With a mixture of different clones and rootstocks, the grape varieties grown here are viognier, chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay and shiraz.
Nick and Gary Farr stand side by side, but aren’t afraid to go head-to-head when their opinions differ. Each generation has developed a distinctive winemaking style based on his individual experience and taste, and their respective lines—By Farr by Gary, and Farr Rising by Nick—have received critical acclaim both in Australia and overseas.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Comprised mainly of boutique, family-owned and operated wineries, Geelong is one of the cool coastal wine-growing regions of the Port Phillip Zone of Victoria. Here the elevation and proximity to sea breezes—similar to Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and the southern part of Gippsland—allow the region to produce remarkably vivid Chardonnay Pinot Noir. The elegant Shiraz wines from Geelong also attract attention.