A bright ruby in colour, the nose is beautifully perfumed with aromas of cocoa, blackberry coulis, spruce tip, white pepper and lavender. A signature graphite note we often see express in our estate Pinot Noirs adds complexity.
The palate is bright and lifted with a bevy of red fruits shining through: cranberry, pomegranate, baked strawberry are complemented with warmer notes of plum compote and nutmeg, hinting at the gentle oak integration. The core Clone 667 make-up of this reserve release showcases a nervy minerality and firm tannin profile - indicating this wine will age gracefully over the next 10 to 12 years.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Year-to-year, our reserve Pinot Noir is based on a small mid-slope block of Dijon Clone 667. These 18 rows easily contain some of the prettiest parcels of fruit off of our single-vineyard estate. In addition to this backbone of 667, a small selection of stand-out Clone 37 and 777 wine in barrel was chosen to enhance the nose and nuance of the “blend”.
These handful of rows were picked at the perfect ripeness and were fermented with wild yeast, and incorporating 50% whole bunches. Cap management in cellar consisted of only one foot treading per day to maintain finesse. Following primary fermentation, it was racked to barriques of which 40% were new for malolactic fermentation. After 15 months and a gentle racking, our Reserve Pinot was bottled unfined and unfiltered and spent another year in bottle before release.
100 cases made.
ACCOLADES
93 points - Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi On Wine
"2020 is a lovely vintage clocking in at only 13.2 percent alcohol, and bone dry. This is an invitation to finesse and complexity. Expect dry, forest floor, earthy tobacco until it hits your palate. From here, a rush of red fruits, pomegranate, wild strawberries, and plum jam fill in the spicy oak notes that filter into the finish."
TECHNICAL INFO
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.2%
Residual Sweetness: 1.0 g/L
pH: 3.74
Total Acidity: 5.81 g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
The 2020 vintage will be remembered as a small but mighty one, in a year we will of course never forget. Mirroring the winter of 2019, a cold snap of under -20 C in late February harmed several vines and buds but fortunately damage was not as extensive as the previous year. Above average rainfall in May charged the soil with water and gave the vines everything they needed to hit the ground running after bud break. A period of cool and wet weather in early July coincided with flowering, unfortunately resulting in uneven berry set across the property.
Summer was about as good as the vineyard crew could have hoped for: lots of sunshine, warm temperatures but not too much excessive heat. Vine growth caught up but we eased into harvest a week later than usual, in the second week of September. Luckily, smoky skies on the early days of harvest quickly dissipated so that we enjoyed clear days for the remainder of harvest. Dry conditions and mild temperatures allowed us to pick each block at perfect maturity. Unlike in previous years, the first frost (and snow!) did not arrive until late October, and we escaped harvesting our last bunches in whiteout conditions by only 12 hours!
