Vintage

Heavier than normal winter rains and cooler temperatures delayed budburst (our second latest) but warmer spring weather resulted in perfect conditions for flowering leading to very good fruit set and promising high yields. In fact, particularly down the hill, crop adjustment was required to ensure even maturity and high quality outcomes. Grapes matured with optimum sugar, flavour and tannin development resulting in high quality parcels from all sites. It was our third earliest harvest, leading to our shortest ever hang time (budburst-harvest 179 days against an average of 203 days).

Vineyards :: Clones

Coolart Road (63%), McCutcheon (18%), Wallis (12%), Judd (7%) :: 115 (50%), MV6 (24%), 777 (9%), 667 (6%), Pommard (4%), 114 (4%), G5V15 (3%)

Harvest date :: Yield

Hand picked 28 February-22 March 2018 :: 5.4 tonnes/ha (2.2 t/acre, ~32.4hl/ha)

Brix :: pH :: TA

22.3-24.3° (12.4-13.5° Baumé) :: 3.28-3.66 :: 6.4-8.4 g/l

Winemaking

Grapes hand-harvested late February to late March. 100% destemmed, with an aim of retaining about 30% whole berries, and transferred to 5 tonne concrete tanks. Held cold for a few days to delay start of indigenous yeast ferment which then typically runs for 14-21 days. Cap management by pump over with some plunging towards the end of the ferment. Following pressing, the wine was transferred to 20% new 228 litre French oak barrels for 9 months. Natural 100% malolactic fermentation before bottling unfined and filtered.

Winemakers

Sandro Mosele, Imogen Dillon,  Martin Spedding

Aging :: Oak

9 months :: 20% new 228 litre French oak (light toast; very tight grain; François Frères) barrels

Malolactic

Complete

Residual sugar

Dry (0.4 g/l)

Finished pH :: TA

3.60 :: 5.8 g/l

Alcohol

l 13.0% (7.7 standard drinks/750ml bottle)

Production

1941 dozen :: bottled 31 January 2019 :: screwcap

Release date

April 2019

TASTING NOTES

A deliciously soft and raspberry laden Pinot Noir with oodles of fruit generosity. Oodles of red fruit, some sappy varietal notes and then light tannins all making for a wonderfully fun and approachable Pinot. Immediate appeal and perhaps the standout of the 2018 10X releases.

Andrew Graham [March 2019, commissioned by TMBT]

Food :: Temperature

Pork chops with apple sauce:: serve at 13–16°C.

Best drinking

2019-2027