About the 2020 Central Pinot Noir…

As with our inaugural 2018 Central Pinot Noir, our 2020 has been sourced from our oldest Pinot Noir vines that were planted in 1992.  100% MV6 clone Pinot Noir, this block represents what has been the structural heart of Curly Flat Pinot Noir since our first vintage in 1998.  Northern facing and nestled upon a gentle slope that rises to the south, this block is a natural amphitheatre for the sun to interact with these maturing vines that are bedded in geologically young soils (2 million years) consisting of rare volcanics, of which have only known to have occurred in Australia throughout small parts of our region.  The wines grown here consist of fine, yet firmly detailed tannin along with fruit that expresses aromatically and is rich in both fruit and fragrance.

From the vineyard…

Compared to the warmer growing seasons of 2018 & 2019, 2020 walked a cooler path.  Budburst commenced mid-September to the frosty welcome that can be part and parcel of our cool, continental climate.  After a slightly warmer than usual October, November saw the return of much cooler weather for flowering and fruitset.  These cooler conditions led to smaller than usual bunches being formed across the vineyard. Fruit set completed in a warmer than average December, that in hindsight stands as one of our warmest and driest on record.  This warmth served as the last hurrah of substantial heat, with the remainder of the season receiving heat best described as gentle warmth.  As temperatures decreased, rainfall began to increase with most months receiving above-average moisture.  With our usual great attention to detail in the vineyard, plus some great end game weather, a compact yet highly qualitative harvest was completed by the end of the first week of April.

From the winery

Our 2020 Central Pinot Noir has been selected from the one parcel offered this season from our 1992 block Pinot Noir.  In keeping with our approach to this block, this parcel was indigenously fermented with a higher percentage of whole bunches to compliment the existing fruit tannin while providing further lift to the red-fruited aromatics that contrast with darker fruits and more savoury expressions inherent with this site. Pressed after 23 days on skins the wines then rested in barrel for 16 months and ultimately consists of 40% whole bunch and 27% new oak and was bottled without filtration.