100% Pinot Noir from the Celeste vineyard, Whitlands, King Valley, Victoria. The OG vineyard in the Whitlands planted by the legendary Dr Jim Hardie in 1983, this gem of a spot has been managed organically by us since 2016.
2022 was a marginal year on the hill, a dice rolling year, letting things hang as long as possible before the birds migrate from the valley floor and the weather really closes in. At the end of the white knuckled ride we couldn't be happier with this wine.
At around 10.5 baume when picked, most people would have put this into sparkling base but our time in the Whitlands has taught us that flavour profile is key. The 2022 is the perfect example of this coming in at 11% alcohol yet showing beautiful pure, varietal traits and really speaking of place.
All wines are fermented outside, just metres from the vines, to encourage as wild a ferment as possible; a nod to, and extension of, the pied de cuve technique we saw back in the day in Priorat, Spain.
This Pinot Noir, fully wild fermented, undergoes gentle daily plunging to aid extraction of the soft tannins but to retain the panoply of subtle aromatics generated by the vineyard and vinification technique.
Tasting note
A subtle and elegant Pinot, maybe one for the purists or maybe not. Light black forest fruits and forest undergrowth, raspberry lolly and dusty tannin which will open in the glass over time. Light and delicate but with concentration coming through in the mid palate and a persistent finish. Best enjoyed with pork neck steak, grilled brussel sprouts with a light cranberry jus.
