Winemaker Notes
Exhibiting cherries and cardamom on the nose, pomegranates and sour cherries on the palate and a lick of angelica root and chamomile tea to finish. 2016 was a vintage for the quick and the dead. Fortunately we were quick. A warm and dry spring meant excellent even flowering and fruit set. Canopies were encouraged to be vigorous to protect the larger than average crop. Summer continued in this fashion, and ripening came on quickly. All pinot was in the winery by the end of February 2016. We aimed to pick while the fruit was fresh and vibrant, which meant going hard with harvesting. We are pleased that we did. Fruit was handpicked from our old blocks – all MV6 clone, all a minimum 20 years old. In light of the warmer year, the vineyard asked us for a lot more thought in winemaking in 2016. To be true to our house style, which across all wines is a commitment to freshness, savoriness & harmony, we felt that a larger proportion of whole bunches in the ferments would enhance the vitality of the wine, and build tannin structure as well. We also used more new barrels this year, to bring more mid-palate richness to the wine. We blended the wine out of oak a month earlier than usual, again – to preserve vitality and freshness.
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.”
As the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, the Yarra Valley is most popular for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which account for over half of vineyard acreage. A gentle, rolling and rural region alongside the Margaret River, the Yarra Valley has a cool maritime climate with a lengthy growing season, perfect for these cool-climate varieties.
Two styles of Pinot Noir are possible here. The warmer Lower Yarra Valley with sandy, loam soils, produces plush and fruity Pinot Noir while the cooler, higher-elevation Upper Yarra Valley with soils of young red basalt, produces more angular and mineral-driven Pinot Noir.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay is among the best in Australia. To preserve the floral aromatics and fresh citrus flavors for which this area’s Chardonnay is so appreciated, time in barrel is restrained (though barrel fermentation is common). The best Yarra Valley Chardonnays display brilliant acidity, leesy characteristics, citrus, stone fruit and flavors of ginger and spice.
Shiraz and Cabernet find success in parts of this region as well.