Tasting Profile
November 2022
This single-block wine is sourced from 0.57 ha of 24-year-old vines on a gentle north-facing slope. These vines are the most exposed of all our Pinot Noir plantings, leading to low vigour and low yields. The combination of the soils (less loamy topsoil and more clay subsoil than the other blocks), exposure and low vigour produce highly aromatic and perfumed red-fruited Pinot Noir with a structure that, as the vines age, is becoming more robust and serious. This wine was fermented in large-format concrete and stainless-steel tanks. The ferment, with a portion of whole bunches, occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts and lasted 16 days. Following fermentation, the wine was pressed and racked into French oak barriques (20% 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.
Opening with vibrant aromas of red and purple raspberries, the alluring nose leads to aromas of sour cherry and a slightly smoky quality. Building with intense red berry and cherry characters, the palate flows seamlessly with a long savoury line. The finish is focused, with fine-grain tannins offering support. Accessible now, it will provide a great return with mid-term cellaring.
12.5%
Tasting Profile 2021
Tasting Profile 2020
Tasting Profile 2019
Reviews
Wine Pilot, August 2023
Jeni Port
Beautifully, arrestingly aromatic, pure in fruit intensity, and fine. Earthy, savoury notes revolve around a solid core of red berries on the palate with gentle sweet spice and an intriguing peppery finish. Fine tannins, juicy acidity. The delicacy of it all is sustained and vibrant to the end. Pure flavour-soaked appeal.
95 points
Vinous, May 2023
Angus Hughson
Fragrant and enticing with lifted watermelon and cranberry aromas. Silky and gently weighted, it shows admirable layers of red fruit flavours. Silky tannins drive a lingering finish.
91 points
Halliday Wine Companion, August 2023
Jane Faulkner
As with all the single-block wines, shyness of flavour is a theme, it’s the vintage and lots of poppy acidity. Certainly refreshing, almost delicate with its varietal inputs, lightly spiced and flavoured. While not typical of Meres, it’s lovely to drink anyway.
92 points
Wine Front, August 2023
Gary Walsh
Raspberry and strawberry, roses, a little spice. It’s a light wine, and quite pretty, fine dusty almost peppery tannin, cherry pip and raw almond, slight greenness, a little shuddery in tannin on the finish, with decent length, a charming wine.
91 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.