Tasting Profile
May 2021
This single-block wine is sourced from 0.79 ha of gently sloping 22 year-old vines. These vines naturally produce low yields due to a combination of unique orientation, free drainage and high exposure. Together with this, the soil has a far greater prevalence of ironstone pebbles than any other part of the vineyard and delivers wine with great concentration and savoury tannic presence. This wine was fermented in a large-format wooden vat. The ferment, with a portion of whole bunches, occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts and lasted 17 days. Following fermentation, the wine was pressed and racked into French oak barriques (27% of which were new) and underwent indigenous malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked only once, with a total maturation period of 14 months. It was then bottled without fining or filtration.
Always unique, the 2019 Ferrous opens on the savoury side with iron, clove, allspice and lavender. Fruity and floral notes appear, displaying flavours of cranberry, orange zest, violets and cherry, while whole-bunch aromas add complexity. There is gentle power to the palate with an attractive combination of savoury flavours and purple fruits. The ultra-fine tannins offer a pleasingly dry, moreish spiciness, leading to a long and sustained finish of black cherry and lifted florals. While the wine can be enjoyed now, it demands cellaring to show its full potential.
13.5% alc.
Tasting Profile 2019
Tasting Profile 2018
Tasting Profile 2016
Reviews
The Winefront, July 2021
Gary Walsh
Cherry, a damp earthy sweetness, spicy biscuits. Fleshy and earthy, cool and sappy acidity sitting comfortably in red and black fruits, amaro flavours like dried herb and orange peel, distinct ‘mineral’ feel, firm dusty tannin trails on a long sweet/sour/savoury/spicy finish. Distinctive.
94 points
Wine of the Week, August 2021
Winsor Dobbin
There is something very special about this Mornington Peninsula single vineyard pinot noir – and it is very much down to the vineyard in which the grapes are grown. The low-yielding block has a high incidence of ironstone pebbles that deliver wines with concentration and savoury tannic presence – think river pebbles – alongside juicy raspberry and cherry fruit notes. Medium-bodied but with a formidable presence, this is delicious in its youth, but is also a cellaring prospect. Another winner from ultra-reliable Glen Hayley.
96 points
Wine Pilot, July 2021
Ken Gargett
A superb wine which provides compelling evidence that Kooyong has maintained its standards as one of the nation’s best pinot producers. The fruit is sourced from a gently sloping 0.79 hectare block which tends naturally to lower yields than many. The soil for this block contains a higher percentage of ironstone pebbles than any other part of the vineyard. The team led by winemaker Glen Hayley believe that this delivers a wine with greater concentration and more savoury tannins. The wine, with a portion of whole bunches, was fermented in a large-format concrete tank. Native yeasts were used and the process took 17 days. The wine was then pressed into French oak barriques (27% new), before malo. The total period of maturation was 17 months. Bottling took place without any fining or filtration.
This wine has a deep red/magenta appearance. It is immediately obvious that it is quite complex, which will only increase in the coming years. There is a minerally backing behind the red fruit and root vegetable notes. Look for raspberries and cherries. It offers a juicy and briary character with hints of animal skins. There is a focus on very fine tannins here, with fresh acidity. This is a really well-balanced pinot in every respect and it surely has a decade plus ahead of it.
95 points
The Vintage
The Vineyard
The Kooyong vineyard is located on the Mornington Peninsula at Tuerong, on Miocene sedimentary soils. Our wines are made from domain grown, handpicked grapes and aim to manifest terroir: the integration of our geology and soils with the macroclimate of our region, the mesoclimates of the various sites within our vineyard and the weather of the annual grape growing season. Our cultural operations in the vineyard and practices in the winery endeavour to articulate these unique characteristics diligently, respectfully and without artifice.