DOUG'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR

I’ve been in love with Doug for a few years now, well I don’t know the man but the vineyard sure produces exceptional fruit as this is an exquisite wine. Cherries and kirsch, raspberry coulis and an abundance of exotic spices with some twiggy, whole-bunch punch, chinotto and a blood orange tang, too. In other words, there’s complexity and detail. Fruit and oak tannins frame the mid-weighted palate, which is plush and almost sensual. Overall, tannins are silky and glide across the palate helped on the way by fine acidity. Wow, what a wine. Rating: 97 Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (Aug 2024)

Viticulture: Sustainable

Doug’s Vineyard is situated on the outskirts of the township of Romsey in the Macedon Ranges. Owned by the Newnham family, it was planted 20 years ago to predominantly MV6 and smaller amounts of 114 and 115 clone pinot noir.

A cool hamlet, the vines sit at around 500m altitude, atop a North and North East facing hillside on red rocky volcanic basalt soil, moderating vigour and providing amazing intensity to the fruit, ripening small, beautifully formed clusters at low sugar levels. A cool hamlet, the vines sit at around 500m altitude, atop a North and North East facing hillside on red rocky volcanic basalt soil, moderating vigour and providing amazing intensity to the fruit, ripening small, beautifully formed clusters at low sugar levels.

Once hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard, grapes were transferred to open fermenter with 20% as whole bunches and the remainder de-stemmed. The must was then allowed to soak 4-5 days at its cool ambient temperature until fermentation commenced.

Thereafter the grapes were gently extracted by a combination of pumping over and pigeage by foot. The wine was then pressed after a total of three weeks on skins and transferred to two new (Laurent “Magic Cask” thick stave, blonde toast) seven young (2-4yo Laurent “Magic Cask”) and ten old (6-10yo) oak Burgundian piece for lees ageing for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees before racking and bottling, unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur.

Pale ruby. Classical and very typical of Doug’s Vineyard, a very elegant and ethereal release. Fragrant and subtle with raspberry, and red cherry fruits complexed by sous bois and the typical exotic spice of Doug’s Vineyard. Structured by silky tannin and fresh acidity and offering great charm in its youthful vigour, medium term aging or decanting will greatly reward.

Winemaker's notes (Nov 2023)