Winemaker Notes
The exquisitely balanced single vineyard Estate Pinot Noir draws fruit from the extremely low cropping, closely spaced north easterly facing, four hectare un-irrigated vineyard. The wine is vinified in an open stainless steel fermenter with regular plunging to extract color and flavor. After fermentation the wine is gravity racked into a combination of new (60%) and old French Alliers oak for a maturation period of around 15 to 18 months.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This bottling is the most linear and acid driven of the range. A translucent strawberry hue, the nose is open and elegant, with delicate aromas of fresh red berries, dried roses, white pepper, terra cotta and savory spice. There's an initial burst of tingly acidity on the tongue that mellows, allowing the silky textured fruit, savory, floral and mineral nuances to shine. Drink now–2030.
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James Suckling
This has a strikingly complex, intense nose with a rich array of cherries and berries, grapefruit and pomegranate, plenty of fruit spice, light pepper and a gently creamy, baking-spice oak thread. The palate has a very rich, intense delivery of beautifully ripe red cherries, framed in fine yet sturdy tannins. Long, fresh and energetic finish.
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Wine Spectator
Showcases a firm, earthy core, with notes of loam and malty Assam black tea. Delivers dried cherry, cranberry and tobacco flavors as well as spice and dried herb notes that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
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.”
South Australia is the historic heart of Australian wine, a great wine capital of the world, and home to some of the most famous regions. It produces more than 80% of Australia’s premium wine from some of the oldest vines in the world. There is an abundance of varieties and wide spectrum of styles to explore. From the rogue to refined, discover Australian wines that are far from ordinary.