Isabel Estate Block 4, Rows 154-256
Block 2, Rows 63-142
Brooks, Rows 1-25
Pinot Noir Clones: DRC ABLE, UCD 5, UCD 6,
CIVC 375, AM10/5 Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777
14th March - 8th Aprill 2006
29th January 2007
The 2006 growing season was the warmest on record with ample sunshine hours. Fabulous for the ripening of fruit...unless of course you are the ever difficult Pinot Noir grape! Extra attention was given to our vines to ensure bunches were protected from too much sun, which lends itself to undesirable jammy characters. Vineyard canopies were utilised to their fullest, ensuring fruit ripened slowly and completely while still taking advantage of the warm season. Rain only came in small amounts, encouraging root systems to delve deep and discover added nutrients. Fruit should offer rich, intense and concentrated flavours for a wine of great age-worthiness...if we did our jobs right!
The extra attention given to our Pinot Noir vines was certainly worthwhile. Fruit was of superior condition, yields were kept low and we handpicked, individually by clone and block, at optimum ripeness. Grapes underwent an extended cold soak, for six days, after being de-stemmed and placed into specially designed open top stainless steel fermentation tanks. Fruit remained separated by clone and fruit character. Fermentation took place at high temperatures of up to 35 degrees and employed several strains of yeast with some tanks enjoying wild fermentation. Gentle punching down of the cap followed to ensure optimum extraction of colour and flavour and after a final gentle pressing, batches were gravity fed into French oak barrels for maturation - of which, 20% were new. Malolactic fermentation was complete by spring and after 10 months, the best barrels were selected to create the final assemblage.
A robust Pinot Noir. Dark medium garnet colour, elegant primary fruit characters, ripe plums, strawberry and cranberry as well as chocolate and spiced notes with balanced oak. It is most cetainly a voluptuous wine - with enticing aromas and alluring depth. A full bodied wine with struture, complexity and beautiful mouth feel. Already charming in its youth, this wine will offer even more with time; cellar 5-8 years.
Brix: 23-24.8
pH: 3.2-3.6
TA: 5.5-7.2g/l
13.5% Alcohol
5.5g/l Titratable acidity
2.2g/l Residual sugar
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