“Estate-grown; open-fermented, 4% whole bunches, three-day cold soak, wild yeast, 20 days on skins, French oak (25% new) for 20 months. The bright crimson colour and fragrant bouquet lead into a supple, full-flavoured (cherry/plum/spice) palate with immaculate length and balance. Will stand tall against its forebears.”
96 points, James Halliday
Wine Companion
“Alluring perfume: shy and interesting. Complex poached strawberry and cranberry palate laced with fennel and five spice. Delicate and harmonious, unfolding gradually with a building presence. Lovely, beautiful, elegant wine. Truly ethereal.”
95+ points, Justin Knock
Decanter
“An outstanding release from Curly Flat. Silken, highly aromatic, has fruit depth and yet it’s light on its feet, racy almost, and correspondingly lengthy. This is a Curly Flat Pinot Noir for the true believers. Fleshy, succulent, deep, smooth and spicy. A standout.”
95 points, Campbell Mattinson
The Wine Front
Curly Flat Pinot Noir represents our passion as winegrowers to faithfully capture the essence of our remarkable site coupled with the unique expression that is derived from each vintage.
Bouquet
A complex nose with many layers. Floral aromatics of violets & lavender merge with red fruits ranging from wild strawberry to satsuma plum. The entrancing spectrum then runs into the more savoury territory of game meats and earthen richness, framed by alluring oak spice.
Palate
Persistent cherry fruit diffuses into a red fruited glow, elegantly framed by tones of autumnal undergrowth and dark chocolate. The voluminous mouthfeel, and firm velvety tannins coordinating with good acidity, high definition is provided to the overall complexity.
Cellaring
At once dense yet delicate, lithe but luxurious. Youthful now, but imbued with a great frame for bottle age, suggesting that this wine will be a joy at every stage over the next 10+ years.
How is this drinking now?
Date tasted: 12/2/20
Bright medium red core brick edged. Exotic perfume of black pepper, five-spice incense pure that merges with perfumed red cherry fruit and deeper notes black fruit spiced plum. Graceful secondary characters of meaty char, earthen undergrowth give complexity to the density of sweet-fruited front palate that’s embellished with finely detailed tannin and gracefully flowing acidity all merging seamlessly, evidence of one of the great ripening years. Drinking beautifully now but will continue to evolve. Drink 2020-2025
Harvest date | 27th March - 11th April 2012 |
Clones used | MV6, 114, 115, D5V12 & Maria Feldt |
Rootstock | Own roots, Teleki 5C, SO4 & Kober 5bb |
Vine age | 12 to 20 years |
Trellis | Lyre & Geneva Double Curtain |
Soil type | Volcanic Basalt & Upper Ordovician |
pH | 3.59 |
Titratable acidity g/L | 6.2 |
Malic acidity g/L | <0.05 g/L |
Baume / Alcohol | 14.2% |
% whole bunch | 4% |
Yeast | Indigenous |
New | 25% |
Second fill | 25% |
Third fill | 50% |
Maturation | 20 |
Fining / filtration | No |
Available formats | 375ml, 750ml & 1.5lts |
Available | Sold out |
Curly Flat © 2019 All Rights Reserved
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