Tasting Note This is quite powerful, rigorous pinot noir. The nose is generous and ripe with more black cherry, lots of sage/evergreen, toast, hot stone and cinnamon spice. It is quite firm and full, with solid acidity, firm, drying, shrubby tannin and a stony mineral finish. A bit more savoury overall. Excellent length. I would cellar it for enjoyment through the mid-2030s. It will also benefit from aeration. 

Backgrounder The westerly and southern exposure of the warmer Block 14 is responsible for inducing the power described above. While the complex soil mix of gravel, sandy loam and clay contribute some of the rigour. The vines are 33-years old. The winemaking is the same for all four pinots, allowing site to express the differences. The fruit was hand-harvested, and it was fermented with wild yeast. During the 14-to-18-day maceration period, light pump-overs were practiced to lighten colour and tannin extraction. After fermentation, the free-run wine was drained to tank, and the remaining pomace was gently pressed. It was aged in third fill 228-litre French oak barrels, undergoing malolactic fermentation in the spring of 2024, then was gently barrel-to-barrel racked to allow full ageing on the lees. It was bottled unfiltered in mid 2025.