Premo Pinot Noir 2005

Harvest Date: 23/3 – 15/4/2005
Brix: 24.8-25.5
Fermentation: Small open top vats
Oak: 100% French Oak (40% new)
Alcohol: 13.5%
Titratable Acidity:5.9 g/l
Residual Sugar: <1 g/l
pH 3.61

CELLAR NOTES

Each vineyard block was hand harvested and delivered to the winery to be put across a sorting table. In 2005 the fruit was very clean with no disease but any shriveled berries were removed. After destemming the grapes were tipped into small open topped fermenters and chilled down to below 10 degrees for a cold soak lasting 4 days. The vats were then warmed and gently pumped over. The parcels underwent an un-inoculated fermentation with hand plunging twice daily. They then stayed on skins for up to 10 days after reaching dryness and gently pumped over until the desired tannin integration was achieved. After pressing the wines went to French oak for the winter and in the spring when the natural populations of Malolactic bacteria became active underwent Malolactic fermentation. Following a sulphur addition the wines remained in barrel until racking, blending and bottling in the following winter.

TASTING NOTES

The processes of minimal handing, wild fermentations and over-wintering the wines before natural malolactic fermentation occurs allows the wines to continually evolve without the presence of sulphur dioxide. This philosophy of treating a wine as a living organism creates wines that have a strong structural focus and inherently produces complex aroma and flavour profiles. Coffee, barnyard and black current aromas give way to flavours of cherries, dark chocolate and pepper. A full rich mid-palate combined with ripe tannins, vibrant acidity and new oak influence forms a robust wine that will reward careful cellaring well into the next decade.