William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir (2024)

750mL / Yarra Valley, VIC / Australia

Category: Wine
Sub-Category: Red wine

The 2024 Cathedral is a blend of around 40% Upper Goulburn, 35% King Valley, 15% Alpine Valleys and 10% Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. The season across southeastern Australia was, yet again, cool and wet early leading to another season of poor flowering and low yields. The second half of the season, however, was warm and dry giving wines of great depth, aroma and tannin. Winemaking remains, as always, very simple. The grapes were left to ferment with little intervention and after three weeks of maceration, the wine was pressed to tank where it remained for malolactic fermentation and maturation. The wine shows bright raspberry, pomegranate and red currant fruits as well as cherry pit and rose petals. The palate is fine and chewy with more red fruits as well as cinnamon, mace and clove characters. It is precise and well defined. While the wine is not intended for long term cellaring it will benefit from 3 to 5 years rest.