Our wine.

2023 proved an extended yet very rewarding vintage in the Pemberton Wine Region. Optimal, dry weather conditions paired with the absence of any significant climatic challenges or disease pressure set the scene for a moderate season, ideal for gentle, consistent ripening across all varieties, but particularly for Pinot Noir, the regions most planted red varietal.

Winter temperatures were lower than average, which made for a quick senescence and sound dormancy for the vines. There was markedly less-than-average rain; however, the vineyards received sufficient supply to recharge soil moisture levels, paving the way for a promising growing season ahead.

The growing season began with a late budburst after a relatively cold winter that pushed vine development back by about 2-3 weeks. Spring saw less rain and cooler conditions than usual, resulting in a slow start to canopy growth and an extended flowering period for early blooming red varietals like Pinot Noir.

January brought consistently warm, sunny days, which saw vines start to catch up nicely on their development. Veraison was delayed by 2-3 weeks for whites and one week for reds. February, dry with plenty of sunshine and no extreme heat, provided perfect ripening conditions and March saw cool mornings and evenings retain natural acid in the fruit. At the same time, short periods of peak heat during the day were ideal for slow, even ripening of Pinot Noir. The only negative was that the Marri tree blossom was scarce this year, which made grapes an easy target for the native birds, and as a result, bird netting and monitoring were vital at this vineyard

The warm, dry conditions kicked off the season for the first red of the region with Pinot Noir rolling off the vine gracefully on March 13. The fruit is a near even split of clone 114 and clone 115. The fruit maintained good acid levels this vintage and has made for a bright, crunchier style Pinot Noir, a little different to the density of fruit profile in the 2022. More like you would expect from the varietal.

The co-harvested clones were crushed and destemmed to cold soaked in tank to extract and stabilise a nice colour early on. 15% were left as whole bunches to provide some added aromatics and complexity to the wine.  Gentle pump overs were performed twice daily. After only 8 days on skins, for a lighter extraction, the fruit was pressed to tank and settled before being sent to 3 year old French Oak barriques to undergo malolactic fermentation and a shorter maturation for 7 months to retain the freshness. The wine was cross flow filtered and minimal sulphites were added to stabilise the wine and ensure its shelf life.

The wine presents with a light vibrancy and soft crimson edge. The nose offers notes of cherry and sweet spice.  The wine presents with delicate and silky berry fruits such as raspberry and plum on the palate, along with soft spice savouriness. The blend of the two clones brings moderate, balanced tannins to the palate. Sourcing fruit from a cooler climate region combined with the use of older oak has resulted in a wonderfully youthful, yet savoury wine that has balanced acidity and restraint.