Vintage
2021
ABV
13%
Wine Type
Red
Wine Style
Still
Wine Description
This wine comprises fruit from five Pinot Noir blocks grown at our Red Hill vineyard. The oldest block was planted in 1987, with more planting in 1997, 2001 and 2007. These five blocks span 10.25 acres (5.28 ha) of the 23 acre (10 ha) vineyard and are grown in various directions in deep, sloping, red basalt soil, overlooking Western Port Bay. This results in each parcel having its own identity and growth characteristics.
The fruit was fermented in a combination of large-format wooden foudre and stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation commenced spontaneously with ambient yeasts and lasted for 17–19 days. The wine underwent indigenous malolactic fermentation. The maturation period was 11 months in French oak barriques (of which 16% were new) and puncheons. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.
Pretty and perfumed in typical Red Hill fashion, the nose shows a complex mix of red currant, cranberry, and alpine herbs. The palate delivers excellent depth and drive, bright berry fruits, and a slightly herbal edge. Firm yet refined tannins lead the wine to a long finish, complete with red-berry acidity.
Accolades
New release. 2021 reviews coming soon…
Winemaker's Bio
Glen Hayley’s winemaking philosophy is driven by authenticity; wine that speaks of place, preserving the character of the fruit and celebrating the vineyard in which it was grown. It is the fine balance between scrupulous attention to detail and minimal intervention that allows wine to fully express provenance. Glen’s passion for natural fermentation techniques extends beyond wine to sour beer, cider and fermented food.
Serendipity saw Glen discover the world of wine. A job in the industry on a gap year in Vancouver offered an addictive glimpse of his future vocation. Returning to Melbourne, Glen completed a Bachelor of Viticultural Science and Wine Production, while working in cool and warm climate wineries across Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand and the USA. His time with premium new world Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producers in Central Otago and Sonoma County, along with a concentration on white wines in the Loire Valley and the Mosel, helped shape his thinking.
His desire to focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay saw Glen join Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate in 2009. In 2015 Glen became Chief Winemaker.
The viticulture and winemaking teams at Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate are intensely collaborative. The team includes chief viticulturist Stuart Marshall and David Merli and winemaker Christian Bradshaw.
