Pemberton, Western Australia. Medium bodied. This is Pinot the way connoisseurs the world over just love the stuff. It is Burgundian through and through and, in my mind; this wine style will always be the apogee of this seductive variety. Rich varietal aroma, pristine ripe fruit, silky yet weighty texture, complex lingering fruit and earth-fused finish…not to mention an irresistible desire to pour another glass! The nose has hints of cedar and leather laced with ripe strawberry, mulberry and subtle smoky, toasted oak. A tantalising palate is refined and offers up opulent red currant, cherry, mushroom, spicy oak and a telltale lingering finish loaded with character. There is wonderful balance and weight throughout this mouth filling wine. Structure is tight with nicely controlled tannins, ensuring reliable medium-term cellar life. This vintage saw the Pannells take their renowned Pemberton Pinots to new levels of excellence. And believe me: the following vintages continue a fabulous ascension. A wine superbly matched with duck or spring lamb.
CELLARING With careful cellaring, this wine has the cellaring potential for 10 years.
The Picardy site was specially selected in Pemberton for its high altitude and well drained loam soils. This is cool climate viticulture at its best. The vines are planted on a north/westerly facing slope for maximum exposure to sunlight. Vine age at time of harvest is 13 years.
VINIFICATION The vines are dry grown, cane pruned and handpicked, which in turn encourages low yields. In the winery the grapes are firstly 80% destemmed and 20% whole bunch, then transferred into small open fermenters. There are six ferments, each inoculated with a different yeast which is hand plunged six times a day (6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, 10pm and 2am) until the cap sinks. This wine is then matured for 12 months in specially imported new to four year old, small French oak barriques.
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