* Highly Recommended -
2006 Winewise Small Vignerons Awards
Winemaker’s Notes
Pinot
Noir represents the ultimate in artistic expression in winemaking.
Styles range from simple, light fruit driven wines, through to rich,
velvety, elegant styles with immense complexity of flavour. Style is
dependent not only on winemaking technique, but also on vineyard
climate and practices. The Yarra Valley is one of the few regions in
Australia
with a climate eminently suited to this finicky variety. It provides us
with the opportunity to make the rich, complex styles typified by the
wines of Burgundy that command prices second only to the great
Bordeaux’s.
Various fermentation techniques have been used to contribute different
elements of light and shade to this wine. Most fermentation techniques
used are base on traditional European techniques using small open pots,
plunged regularly (including the small hours of the night). Some
components included whole bunches to contribute the characteristic Pinot
“sappyness”. Where whole bunches were used they were added slowly over
several days to extend the fermentation time to help extract flavour,
colour and structure. Some components include extended soaking of skins
(maceration) to soften the wine and to give a “silky” texture. All
components are initial handled with oxidation to stablise colour. Then
they are matured quite reductively to allow gamey, mushroom, earthy
tones to develop.
Small French oak barrels (barriques) are used to mature the wine, with
only about one quarter of the oak being new oak to prevent domination of
the fruit flavours by the oak.
The wine will benefit from cellaring followed by decanting.
Tasting Notes
Dark brick red. Abundant cherry, stewed plum fruit flavours,
complexed by earthy, meaty fermentation characters that are vital to a
“sexy” pinot style. The palate has robust but silky tannins, free of any
bitterness. Firm but silky, long finish.
$21.50
2006 Cabernets
Winemaker’s Notes
The
key to the excellence of our Cabernets blend is a low crop level and
minimal water to produce small berries. This ensures
maximum colour, flavour and tannin structure. This blend includes 52%
Cabernet sauvignon, contributing backbone, structure and aging ability;
a 20% Cabernet franc component, highlighting the herbal, brambleberry,
blackberry aromas; Merlot, at 24%, plays its usual role of filling and
sweetening the middle palate, but being low enough in percentage not to
lighten the structure too much or introduce green, stalky flavours. The
4% Petit verdot is used to
contribute natural acidity, avoiding the need to add artificially add
acid, which does not integrate well into Cabernet.
This is a classic cool climate Cabernets blend with fine, restrained
structure that will open up as the wine ages.
Fermentation was carried out at a temperature of 24-26°C to maximise
tannin structure whilst retaining fruit flavours. At the end of
fermentation, the wine was left on skins for a further 3 weeks; a
technique called “post fermentation maceration”. This is a traditional
technique used to stabilise colour and remove harsh, bitter tannins and
extract more of the soft, silky tannins.
Maturation was conducted in a mixture of small French and American oak
barrels (barriques) for 30 months, far longer than most commercial
wines. The extended aging time has softened the tannins and integrated
the oak flavours to give a seamless balance on the palate.
Tasting Notes
Bright brick red. Abundant blackberry, dark cherry nose complexed by
cigar box oak, hints of tea leaf and mint. Soft drying tannins on the
palate, free of any bitterness. Abundant and persistent fruit flavours.
$24.00
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