Single Vineyard Ferrous Pinot Noir 2009
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Kooyong is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong and focuses on producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine; which are both suited to the Peninsula’s cool maritime climate. Kooyong is a ‘domain’ in the true sense of the word and the wines are made from 100% estate grown fruit at its own on-site winery.
Vintage
Rains in the Winter of 2008 were encouraging and although budburst was early, conditions were more typical for Spring and early Summer than for the previous several years. The cool weather did compromise flowering and fruit set however, so the yield potential was low. Concurrent days of extreme heatwave conditions in early February had an understandably severe impact, sunburning fruit on the western sides of the vine rows. However, for the growth stage of the fruit at Kooyong this simply resulted in shrivel and drop of scorched berries, reducing yield further but not compromising quality. The resulting harvest was about 50% less than what is considered appropriate for Kooyong but asides from the week of freakish heat, the 2008 – 2009 growing season was essentially benign, with amenable temperatures and rainfall events occurring at appropriate intervals. The tiny yields produced wines of high natural acidity and unusually intense varietal fruit character.
Viticulture
The 2009 Kooyong Ferrous Pinot noir is a single site wine produced from 2.38 hectares of estate vineyard.
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 (30% new).
Alcohol
13.0% vol
Tasting Note
Bright blood-maroon colour. The nose is a tense clash of crushed ironstone, brooding redcurrant, wild cherry, mulberry, meadow hay and barky spice. The palate attacks savoury and tightly wound, with the red rock crunchy tannins typical of this vineyard site, suggesting a desire for further bottle age.
Cellaring
Will reward further bottle ageing.
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Single Vineyard Ferrous Pinot Noir 2009
Reviews
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, 16th-18th December 2011
Deep and dark smelling, slightly ferrous (this characteristic observed without seeing the label), and the slightest sniff of fresh-pulled beetroot, and candied cumquat (citrus is a totally legitimate, indeed desirable, attribute of pinot). It grows in fruit intensity with air and gets a touch mossy. Excellent depth in the mouth also, becoming creamy in the middle, with intense, squeezed pips and some of the sweet-sharp citrus tang of the nose, finishing with raisin sourdough toast. Mouth-wateringly powerful pinot noir, which will only improve with another couple of years in the bottle. Changes almost every time you stick your nose in it and get your tongue around it. Wow...96(97)/100, 10/10.
TIM WHITE
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD – SPECTRUM, 19th-20th October 2011
There are three single vineyard pinots in the Kooyong stable, all quite different despite the close proximity of each site and the fact they are made the same way. Meres is charming. The structured Haven needs the most cellaring. And Ferrous? It’s an extraordinary wine. Also structured and on the fuller side of medium bodied, it has precise, almost grainy tannins and builds on the palate. Ideally it needs cellaring, although it opens up superbly. It’s fragrant and spicy, with plenty of tangy acidity.
JANE FAULKNER
THE AGE GOOD WINE GUIDE 2012
Ah, the Ferrous pinot is often a thrilling wine to taste, and this is no exception; it’s certainly the most pure and pinot-like of the three Kooyong single-vineyard pinots. The nose offers deeply ripe, spice-dusted dark red cherry fruits, wet earth and forest floor, and bright attractive oak alongside – it breathes up beautifully. The palate has impressive, taut tannin structure that is bolstered by assertive oak, some savoury dark chocolate and toasted spices – mouth-coating and rich. An impressive wine, for sure. 96 points.
NICK STOCK
THE AUSTRALIAN WINE ANNUAL 2012
Its modest alcoholic strength will help this powerful young pinot to flesh out slowly and with balance. Dark, heady, Sonoma Coast-like aromas of plums, dark cherries, mineral and briar are lifted by scents of musky spices and red flowers. Underpinned by mouthwatering tannins, its concentrated, sour-edged flavours of blackberries and dark plums reveal meaty, farmyard undertones, finishing long, dark and persistent. 94 points
JEREMY OLIVER
JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION 2012
KOOYONG AND PORT PHILLIP ESTATE
COMBINED WINERIES OF THE YEAR 2012
Strong crimson hue; the fragrant bouquet has a mix of plum and (less) cherry, with a web of spices in the background; the palate opens with a supple plum fruit then moves to a more savoury, authoritative finish.
96 Points
JAMES HALLIDAY
THE SATURDAY AGE – LIFE AND STYLE, 22nd October 2011
Anyone who’s visited Burgundy might have enjoyed oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in a red wine sauce). This dish is prepared using an inexpensive pinot noir but as I had some of the outstanding Kooyong Ferrous 2009 left over, why waste it? What a wine, what a dish. On the fuller side of medium-bodied with grainy tannins, it builds on the palate – ideally this needs some cellaring, although it opened up superbly. Fragrant, spicy with tangy cleansing acidity offsetting its earthy, beetroot-rhubarb, morello and sweet black cherry centre.
JANE FAULKNER
AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, 24th-25th September 2011
Sometimes you taste a wine that’s so thrilling, you’re busting to tell wine lovers about it so they can participate in your excitement. Nowadays there are many channels available for the real-time delivery of such messages, none more effective than Twitter, although the 140-character restriction does limit really exuberant expression – especially when the wine in question is seriously complex.
The wine that inspired these thoughts is the Kooyong Single Vineyard Selection Ferrous Pinot Noir 2009 from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, my top pointed wine in a blind line-up of two dozen high-reputation pinots.
It is deep and dark smelling, slightly ferrous, with the slightest sniff of fresh-pulled beetroot, and candied cumquat (citrus is a legitimate and desirable attribute of pinot). It grows fruit intensity with air and gets a touch mossy. It also has excellent depth in the mouth, getting creamy in the middle, with intense squeezed pips and some of the sweet-sharp citrus tang of the nose, finishing with a raisin sourdough toast. It is a mouth-wateringly powerful pinot noir that will improve with another couple of years in the bottle. And it changes almost every time you stick your nose in and get your tongue around it.
I scored it 97/100 (10/10) and the Meres wine from the same producer I raved about with the same abandon.
TIM WHITE
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