2023 ‘Rouge Gorge’ Pinot Noir (Huon Valley) *6 pack*
Winemaking:
From a single site in the Huon Valley set on grey Permian mudstone - 15% whole bunch and the remainder destemmed Pinot Noir - wild ferment with gentle daily pigeage - basket pressed to old oak barriques for 10 months elevage - minimal sulphur addition at bottling - 1100 bottles produced
Tasting:
Rose hip tea, dried cranberry and a lashing of campari on the nose. Plenty of sous bois / garrigue notes on the palette, with the bucket of raspberries to back it all up. Silty pumice stone tannin and a tight acid line.
This is quite sweet-ripe fruited but knows how to curtail the more ebullient personality of the wine. Scents of raspberry jam, currants, dried cranberry with whiffs of choc-mint, game meat, Italianate herbs. Quite a lot on in perfume. The palate is juicy, fleshy, has some nice chew to texture, light in that regard but enough to refresh. There’s more jammy raspberry flavours, sweet cheery, a touch of medicinal cherry elixir, aniseed and some kombu/seaweed umami going on. All up, lush and nice. Neat and tidy. A heady pinot noir, well done. - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)