Vineyard:Fruit was sourced from two single vineyards to make this blend;The Malakoff Vineyard outside of Landsborough, Southern Pyrenees. This vineyard was planted in 2000 to Nebbiolo, the region is renowned for longer and warmer ripening periods during autumn compared to other cool climate regions which presents ideal conditions to ripen Nebbiolo fully.
Two Hills Estate Vineyard located in the sub-region outside of the Yarra Valley in ‘Glenburn’. Vineyard established in 2000 , it has a Northern exposure. Higher in altitude, the vineyard is subject to light winds which come up from the valley floor and has many cool nights during the growing season, so it is one of the last to ripen its fruit.
Grape Variety: 60% Nebbiolo & 40% Pinot Noir
Soil Composition: Malakoff Vineyard – Red ferrous clay soils with heavy deposits of quartz and ironstone. Yering Vineyard – Sandy with clay loams
Training System: Vertical shoot position (VSP) for the Nebbiolo and Scott Henry for the Pinot Noir.
Winemaking: For the Nebbiolo component; Hand harvested, de-stemmed and transferred into open 1 tonne fermentation pots. Juice was inoculated with a suitable yeast culture, the cap was hand plunged twice daily, with a total maceration time (on skins) of 180+ days!! For the Pinot Noir component; De-stemmed whole berry with partial 30% whole bunch into open 1 tonne fermentation pots. Innoculated fermentation, the cap was hand plunged twice daily, with a total maceration time of 20 days.
Maturation: In 300 Litre French Oak Barrels, 10% new for Nebbiolo and 30% new for Pinot Noir for a period of 18 months, followed by bottle aging for a further 6 months prior to release.
Tasting Notes:This wine blends delicate floral notes of violets and roses from Nebbiolo accompanied with the fruity scent of wild strawberries, blackcurrants and pepper from Pinot Noir. On the palate the Nebbiolo takes centre stage with its dusty tannin which is balanced with the grace and charm of Pinot Noir. The result …. complexity, finesse and elegance.
