Vintage
2019
ABV
13.7%
Wine Type
Red
Wine Style
Still
Wine Description
The warmer 2019 season lent itself to increasing the amount of ‘Montalto-style’ whole-bunch fermentation; this technique involves loading whole bunches into a 2T open-fermenter and allowing them to undergo 10 to 14 days of carbonic maceration before being destemmed into 2 tonne open fermenters where primary wild fermentation is completed. The result is a significant increase in aromatics and savoury complexity. In 2019, 23% of the blend is made using this technique. The remaining portion of fruit is sorted on the table, destemmed and then allowed to soak for 7 days before the onset of wild fermentation. Ferment temperatures can peak at 32 degrees Celsius. A post ferment maceration of 7 days followed before pressing. The wine was lightly racked to French oak Barriques and Puncheons (27% new) for natural malolactic fermentation and 11 months maturation.
Accolades
Trophy - 2020 Mornington Peninsula Wine Show (Provenance Award for Pinot Noir)
95 Points Steve Leszczynski, 2020
Gold Medal - 2020 Victorian Wine Show
Winemaker's Bio
Approaching his 12th vintage as Montalto winemaker, Simon Black has a tremendous grounding and recognition for the vineyards that provide the life-blood to the Montalto winery, together with a meticulous understanding of how to vinify and capture the potential of each site. Following his graduation in Oenology from Charles Sturt University in 1996, Black travelled extensively, nationally and internationally, honing his craft. It was inevitable that his love of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir would eventually see him settle on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
He is a Len Evans Tutorial graduate and was also a Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year finalist in 2015.
The ongoing search for wine-perfection is what drives Black:
“I may get 40 vintages to apply my craft. If the wine Gods are friendly and the planets align, one in ten of these might produce grapes of exceptional quality, leaving only 4 opportunities in my career to make truly great wine. The quest feeds the fascination.”
