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 fruit set.  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 qualitive harvest was completed by the end of the first week of April.

From the winery

Our 2020 Estate Pinot Noir consists of eleven separate lots representing distinct aspects, clones and soils.  Each of these parcels were handled with attention to vineyard details with the aim of maximising site expression.  Indigenous yeasts connect all ferments but varying amounts of whole bunch, post ferment skin contact and individual oak handling were utilised respective to the lot characters themselves.  Each of these parcels combine to form our most complex Pinot Noir, with fragrant spices and a red fruit lift that seamlessly merges with darker fruits and more savoury complexities.  A myriad of vineyard based tannin entwines with gentle oak handling to accentuate a length of mineral clarity.  After 14 months maturation our Estate blend consists of 12% whole bunch and 36% new oak and was bottled without filtration.