PROVENANCE         

2011 Golden Plains PINOT NOIR

VINEYARDS

We have designated our 2011 Provenance Pinot Noir "Golden Plains" reflecting the breadth of its provenance across the golden plains of the Geelong, Ballarat & Henty wine regions. We consider 2010 to be a great vintage for Pinot Noir. Pristine fruit was hand harvested from our Moorabool Valley, Geelong vineyard,  across its steep, south-east slope with the mixed clone planting contributing a range of intriguing fruit flavours. This has been blended with the best Bellarine Pinot Noir we have had enter the winery, from the proven Grassy Point vineyard. Pierrepoint vineyard on the outskirts of Tarrington in the Henty region with its red buckshot soils added another dimension and finally the Sinclair, Ballarat vineyard with its ancient ordovician soils at 500m contributed wonderful bright fruit.

Fear not single vineyard wine lovers you can see the components in their full glory in our regional selection bottlings

HARVEST & WINEMAKING

With four vineyards contributing to this wine a variety of picking dates throughout March took place. All fruit was carefully handpicked with any second class bunches left behind. In total the fruit was 60% destemmed and lightly crushed (crusher wheels wide open), on top of the remaining 40% whole bunches into small open fermenters. Indigenous fermentation began 2-3 days post harvest and ferment temperatures reached a peak of 33 C. The cap was hand plunged as required.  At ferment completion the wine was pressed away from the skins, settled for two days and racked to French oak barrels, 30% first use. Natural MLF took place in barrel during 10 months maturation, which was punctuated by 1 racking prior to blending, filtration and bottling. 

TASTING NOTES

APPEARANCE

Brilliant, crimson red.

NOSE

Lifted red berry and lavender fruit aromas sit within a complex forest floor bouquet. The seamless clove-like French oak character matches the fruit expression perfectly. 

PALATE

On tasting a supple, silky texture is evident. Fruit flavours true to the promised aromas are delivered across the expansive mid-palate, balanced by lovely fine-grained tannins, a feature of vintage 2010. Exhibiting the classic Pinot Noir trait often described as a "peacocks tail" the flavour opens up through the length of the wine.  Fine natural acid keeps all in fresh, vital check. A fine, charming Pinot Noir.

FOOD MATCHES 

Duck, lamb, beef. Mushroom risotto etc.