The wines of Kooyong aim to manifest Terroir, an 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. Kooyong Estate's cultural operations in the vineyard and husbandry in the winery endeavour at all times to articulate these unique characteristics diligently, respectfully and without artifice.

Vineyard:

The 2016 Kooyong Estate Pinot Noir is a single estate blend of Pinot Noir; the parcels in this wine represent 7.78 hectares.

Winemaking:

The fruit is hand-picked, then destemmed and fermented without yeast inoculation in open vats for 18 to 21 days. The malolactic conversion in barrel also is natural. The maturation approach is to spend ten months in French oak (15% new) and then a further six months in large wooden foudre.

Vintage:

The 2015 – 2016 growing season began with an early budburst, despite the 2015 Winter being appropriately cool and giving good rains which fully recharged the soil profile. Most vineyards, having produced such a tiny crop in 2015, had restocked nutrition reserves in their permanent wood and expressed a slightly high crop potential early on. Rains came often through the Spring andearly Summer. An unseasonal warm spell before flowering combined with the rains to induce high vegetative vigour in some blocks. This pulled back the yield potential slightly through imperfect fruit set. Most blocks thus did not require thinning at veraison. Conditions from flowering and through the ripening period were a welcome moderate to cool and even though harvest was still early and in the pattern of the last four years, the 2015 vintage provided an exciting opportunity to make wines of beautifully balanced ripeness and excellent regional expression.

Tasting Notes:

Deep purplish-maroon. A youthful yet harmonious nose of red fruits befitting the moderate growing season; aromas of cranberry, raspberry and savoury red cherry. The palate is medium-bodied and tightly wound with a pure core of red fruits and is reminiscent of the 2006 vintage in terms of poise and structure; there are notes of Ferroussy ironstone minerality and subtle notes of smoky beetroot and graphite after the primary attack. This is a wine with vim and vigour and is a pleasing example from a very good vintage.

Alcohol:

13.5%

Drink:

Will reward further bottle ageing