2023 Levant Pinot Noir

Hand-picked grapes, hand-sorted, mostly de-stemmed (with a small portion of crushed fruit) and tipped direct to open fermenters.

Stalks were added back to roughly 15% of the fermenters to contribute additional structure and aromatic complexity to the final blend. Each parcel of grapes was fermented, pressed and filled to cask separately as individual components. Fermentation initiated naturally via endemic yeast prior to inoculation with a varietally-specific yeast strain to complete the fermentation.

Fermentation length varied from 7 to 15 days on skins prior to pressing and racking to 100% French oak (2280-litre foudres and 500-litre puncheons) for short maturation. The final blend is an assemblage of the resultant wines from thirteen separate open fermentations.

Bright black cherry, summer pudding, cola and tangerine aromas hit to the fore with background hints of cassia bark, shortcake, and white chocolate sitting above an underlying steely note.

An intense entry onto the juicy palate with red cherry, plum and rhubarb flavour. Not a shy or delicate Pinot Noir, it is well-framed, poised and structured with weighty fruit emboldened by a base of firm tannins and fine acidity.  This wine is suitable for vegans.