Description
""Our Pinot noir vines were sourced from Western Victoria in 1971. This material was acquired before individual clonal selections were considered, and as such, our older Pinot blocks are a mix of many clones. A visiting French ampelographer (vine expert) once told John Middleton (Founder) that there were in the order of 30+ clones in our original Pinot block. Subsequent plantings of Pinot on this site have been selections from the original block, and the clonal selection has been somewhat refined. There are also some newer blocks of Pinot noir planted (as of 2008) to American rootstocks and are of specific clonal material, namely MV6 and 777. In the winery the emphasis is on simplicity. By today’s standards, relatively short fermentations are employed, typically 8-10 days. This is followed by 16 months of barrel maturation consisting of 25% new oak barriques. Minimal, if any, fining and filtration is carried out prior to bottling." - Winemaker Notes
"The 2022 Pinot Noir leads with a bouquet drenched in cherry and flowers, milk chocolate, bramble, moss and forest floor. The fruit character is pure, but there is so much more going on here than just the usual cavalcade of red berries. In the mouth, the wine is silky, lush and textural, with cocoa powder, a hint of Ovaltine (one assumes an oak character), soft licorice, strawberries and scratched blood orange. The package is creamy and svelte. This is perhaps less weighty in the fruit department than last year, which means that, at this stage, the components that shape the wine have greater dominance over the experience than usual. Having said this, it remains a sophisticated, classy-as-hell expression of Australian Pinot Noir and one that comes thoroughly and heartily recommended. 13.3% alcohol, sealed under natural cork." - 95 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
