Winemaker Notes
Grapes grown in ancient brown/grey loam over clay soils in Charleston and Piccadilly (Adelaide Hills). Clones are MV6, 777, 114 and 115, with most vines dating back to 1996. There is minimal use of both cultivation and chemicals. 35% whole berry ferment and aging in tank, egg white fining and no filtration. The Dagger was made to show good length and structure, finishing with bright juicy Pinot Noir characters. A vibrant, rich, earlier drinking wine.Floral edges with cuts of bright red berries combine on the nose of the 2018Dagger Pinot Noir to create a fresh yet complex attack on the senses. Liftedrich fruit and spice parry along the palate to a finish of fine-grained tanninand bright acidity The Dagger has been honed to create a vibrant, rich, earlier drinking wine displaying all of the hallmark aromas, flavours and texture of Pinot Noir.Drink young while the edge is keen.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The vibrant red and dark cherries here are on point and really deliver mouthwatering interest on the nose. The palate has a wealth of strawberry and red-cherry flavor and holds a sleekly appealing shape.
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Wine Spectator
Bright and focused, with juicy cherry and raspberry flavors that integrate well with notes of cardamom, black tea, thyme and orange zest. A touch of tension from the tannins and acidity add to the appeal on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2031.
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.”
Adelaide refers to the diverse super zone in South Australia containing the Mount Lofty Ranges Zone (Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains and Clare Valley), Fleurieu Zone (Currency Creek, Kangaroo Island, Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale, and Southern Fleurieu) and Barossa Zone (Barossa Valley and Eden Valley).
The Adelaide Hills region is distinguished and beautiful, offering a cool respite in the summer for Adelaide city dwellers. With vineyards planted fairly high in elevation at 1,500 to 1,800 feet, it is known for particularly fine, citrus-driven Sauvignon Blanc.
The Adelaide Plains is a hot region northwest of the Adelaide Hills that produces approachable, value-driven wines.