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Ruby red in colour with purple tinges. On the nose the initial impression is lifted floral violets combined with subtle 5-spice, with a hint of smoky dried plum. The palate is full and rich. There is an underlying vibrancy – a complex minerality flowing through to the spicy finish. The wine has a background of classic, earthy, slightly mushroomy “forest floor” characters. The fruit spectrum is black cherry to black olive with a hint of chocolate. There is already good integration, the fruit and silky tannins are in well balanced. The fruit for this wine comes from vines aged up to 24 years. Aged vines produce grape flavours that move beyond simple fruit. It is what the Burgundians call vinosity. This wine has it in spades. Our Australian wine buyer, when trying this wine for the first time, exclaimed ”This is red Burgundy...Chambolle Musigny”. It has been our quest – to produce Pinot noir that is more than just simple ripe fruit with loads of oak tannins. A combination of old vines plus an even older wine maker has resulted in a wine of complexity, depth of expression and of course that magical vinosity. As part of our philosophy we are tending to use less new oak – currently 15%. The structure and backbone of this wine comes from complex fruit tannins, from the grape skins – they provide a softer, more integrated structure than coarse oak tannins. We expect this wine, like most of our Pinots, to still be drinking beautifully in ten years time.
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