Article by:
Punt Road
"The nose displays cherries and cardamom. Pomegranates and sour cherries on the palate. A lick of angelica root and chamomile tea to finish"
Vintage & Vineyard
2016 was a vintage for the quick and the dead. Fortunately we were quick.
A warm and dry spring meant excellent even flowering and fruit set. Canopies were encouraged to be vigorous to protect the larger than average crop. Summer continued in this fashion, and ripening came on quickly. All pinot was in the winery by the end of February 2016. We aimed to pick while the fruit was fresh and vibrant, which meant going hard with harvesting. We are pleased that we did.
Fruit was handpicked from our old blocks – all MV6 clone, all a minimum 20 years old.
Winemaking
In light of the warmer year, the vineyard asked us for a lot more thought in winemaking in 2016. To be true to our house style, which across all wines is a commitment to freshness, savouriness & harmony, we felt that a larger proportion of whole bunches in the ferments would enhance the vitality of the wine, and build tannin structure as well. We also used more new barrels this year, to bring more mid-palate richness to the wine. We blended the wine out of oak a month earlier than usual, again – to preserve vitality and freshness. Bottled in December 2016.
Vineyard: Napoleone, Block 3 (20%) Block 10 (80%)
Technical notes:
Soil type: Sandy loam on a clay base
Aspect: NE
Harvested: 15th – 27th February 2016
Yeast: Indigenous + RC212
Whole Bunch: 20%
$29 / 750ml