Winemaker Notes
Red Cherry. Gamey. Forest Floor. Complex.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
From red basalt volcanic soils at high elevation in New South Wales, this rose petal-tinted Pinot offers a perfumed nose of violets, cherries and minerals with a sappy, black olive underbelly. A rush of juicy fruit washes over the tongue, followed by tingly acidity and savory, spicy tannins, the interplay between the three like a well-timed trio. There's a touch of wood at the finish but overall this is a lovely, balanced cool-climate drop.
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.”
Occupying hillsides of the extinct volcano, Mount Canobolas, the Australian region of Orange has volcanic, clay soils with patches of terra rossa and an ideal environment for the production of lively Chardonnay, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc, and elegant reds from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. At elevations of between 2,000 and 3,300 feet, this is a decidedly cool climate region. It is also nonetheless a major gourmet hotspot, sought out for its restaurants, food festivals and regional specialties like wild berries, local truffles and cheeses.