Kooyong Estate Pinot Noir 2008
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Kooyong is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong and focuses on producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine; both suited to the Peninsula’s cool maritime climate. Kooyong is a ‘domain’ in the true sense of the word. The wines are made from 100% estate grown fruit at its own on-site winery.
Vintage
The 2007 - 2008 growing season began with early budburst and dry conditions, inducing a strong flowering that lead to above average yields. Much of the season continued to be warm and dry but the ripening month of February was distinctively cool. A late season hot spell followed in mid March, funnelling down from central Australia and influencing harvest quality throughout the South East of the country. Fortunately almost all of Kooyong had already been picked and the stability experienced up to this time, combined with the coolness of the ripening period in February, amplified the aromatic qualities of the wines harvested prior to the heat. This has resulted in some of the most expressive and individualist Kooyong wines yet.
Viticulture
Kooyong Estate Pinot noir is a blend of Pinot noir parcels from the Meres, Haven and Ferrous vineyards.
Winemaking
The fruit is 100% destemmed and fermented, without yeast inoculation, in open vats for 18 to 21 days. The malolactic conversion also is indigenous. The maturation period is 18 months in French oak (25% new).
Alcohol
13.0% vol
Tasting note
A vibrant ruby red colour. The nose is generous and open with red and dark berry offset with a touch of vanilla. The soft, creamy texture reflects the relatively warm vintage but the sweet fruit is balanced by abundant ripe, round tannins. The flavour spectrum ranges from strawberry, raspberry, and boysenberry through to cinnamon and clove, tapenade and coffee. There's a thickness and richness of texture that speaks of the vintage but the varietal character remains pure. Generous and open now, it also has the intensity to age well.
Cellaring
Will reward further bottle ageing.
Download Tasting Notes
Kooyong Estate Pinot Noir 2008
Reviews
AUSTRALIAN WINE COMPANION 2010
93 Points
JAMES HALLIDAY
THE BIG RED WINE BOOK, 2010/2011
It tasted better the longer we rested it in the glass. Not a bad sign. It’s savoury and spicy and probably a bit stalky, but once some air gets into it, a lovely ooze of boysenberry and cherry-fruit flavours offers itself up. Firm, dry tannins close around the finish and when you swallow, the flavours linger appreciably. This is good even by Kooyong’s high standards.
94 points
CAMPBELL MATTINSON and GARY WALSH
STEPHEN TANZER'S INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR, July/August 2010
Bright red. Black raspberry and candied flowers on the nose, with complicating notes of vanilla bean and smoky herbs. Juicy and refreshingly brisk, with sweet red fruit flavours and a suave floral quality. Gains depth with air and finishes with a refreshingly bitter cherry skin note and good sweet persistence.
JOSH REYNOLDS
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, GOOD LIVING, 27th July 2010
If Structure is a feature of Kooyong pinots and this one has plenty of tannin to go with its generous, bold fruit. Very sweet cherry perfumes, lovely flavour and ripeness, quite complex.
92 Points
HUON HOOKE
WINE100,May 2010
This has a gentle twist of reduction and plenty of dark cherry fruit, very ripe, edging towards spiced cake dough, it shows the heat of the vintage. The palate is nicely weighted and delivers plenty of cherry flavour with charm. Bright acid and assertive tannins to close.
92 points
NICK STOCK
THE CANBERRA TIMES, Wednesday, 14th April 2010
One of the best pinots to come out of the Mornington Peninsula region in any given year, the Kooyong again featured highly in all of our notes. Dense and brooding, there’s dark forest berry fruits, with just a touch of menthol in its youth. Firm tannins and fairly racy acidity will ensure this one will easily last a decade in a good cellar. In fact, unlike the others, it really needs more time.
FERGUS McGHEE
THE WINE FRONT, March 2010
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I reckon there’s a lot more punchy acidity being packed into these Kooyong Pinots in recent vintages. Also pretty sure that Tang Master Mattinson is sure to rate this even higher than me. Red fruits veering towards The Plum with plenty of spice, a clutch of aromatic dried herbs and subtle vanilla oak. Has an almost lemony perfume even. Its medium weight, tangy and focussed with a sort of tamarillo tartness to the acidity, but plenty of spicy fruit and fine grained tannins to go with it. It has great shape, significant length and is sure to cellar particularly well. I opened the bottle a couple of days ago, and, on re-tasting a couple of days later, it showed almost no sign of change. Some serious Pinot styling here.
93 points
GARY WALSH
Download Reviews
2008 (PDF)
2007 (PDF)
2006 (PDF)