AROMA
Green herb, white pepper, faint mezcal, just ripe red cherry.
PALATE
Palate is light, glossy, silky but defined with talc-like tannins, sour-sweet flavours, green herbs, pepper again. Strong whole bunch kind of character, refreshing, fine, tat-work-lacy, sleek.
VINIFICATION
Hand-picked without additions. Picked in 2 parcels, in both cases 20% was destemmed to the base of the vat to commence a "pied de cuve” ferment. The vats were then filled to the brim with whole bunches and closed up to allow a semi carbonic maceration to occur. After the vats were clearly fermenting a small amount of juice from the base was splashed back over the top of each vat. Occasional foot stomps were done to release a little more juice into the ferment and extend the time on skins.Pressed after 2 weeks to new and used 228L tight grain French barriques for 10 months – 18 % new, 82% older. Bottled by gravity with no fining or filtration.
VINTAGE NOTES
A fantastic Spring with highly successful flowering permitted to shoot thin and cluster select down to one bunch per shoot. The whole ripening season was a little earlier than average and despite some good January rain, the overall growing season was relatively dry. The fruit was picked with lower sugars but with beautiful flavour and stem ripeness. The resulting wines have lower alcohol, but similar acid levels to the 2017, but with a little more tannin structure. All the 18 Pinots have lovely perfume, colour and a very generous mouthfeel.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
2 to 10 years.
Wombat Creek Vineyard is the highest altitude vineyard in the Yarra Valley, making it an ideal location for the production of extreme cool climate wines. The vineyard was originally planted in 1988 with the intention of producing base wine for sparkling production but over the years has been gradually transitioned to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for table wine. The underlying ferrous (red) based volcanic soil and rock produce a distinctively soft yet long and firm palate that contrasts with the finer palates seen from the nearby Applejack Vineyard (basalt based volcanic).
No recommended products at the moment.
