Posted by Brian on 24th Jun 2019
SOLD-OUT We are sorry, but we have sold out. The 2017 Maipenrai will be available in September, and there is a bit more available than the 2017 Amungula Creek. We are pleased to release our 2017 Amungula Creek Pinot Noir until sold out. This wine is available in very short supply, and we are sorry if you miss out. The 2017 Maipenrai Pinot Noir will be available in September. 2017 Amungula Creek Pinot Noir The 2016/17 season began with the wettest spring in memory, and the vines got a great start in a cool/mild spring, that turned warm by December. January was dry and the hottest on record (a record that was shattered again this year), with the conditions continuing warm and dry through the first half of February. We ended up losing a lot of the fruit that had set on the vines due to lack of water. The weather moderated mid-February with the ripening period post veraison picture perfect - mild temperatures, not much rain, but just enough to keep things ticking a long. We had a very low crop again off the vineyard, and purchased some outstanding fruit from two nearby vineyards. The 2017 wines have a lot of flavour and ample tannin due to the heat/water stress as the berries formed. The ferments were uneventful, although peak fermentation temperatures were a little cooler than normal. We used 10-35% whole bunches in the different batches of fruit, and pressed the wines after 11-14 days after they were crushed. Stored in French Oak (20% new) for 22 months - the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2017 Amungula Creek is made from fruit from both Maipenrai and another nearby Canberra District vineyard. It has a dark ruby colour, with aromas of raspberry and forest floor. The palate is medium bodied, with a little bit of primary fruit overlaying a savoury meaty character, which is rounded out with a moderately firm backbone of tannin. It would be best to give it a year or two, and will be good to drink over the next 10 or even 15 years. This is as serious as Pinot Noir gets for less than $20 a bottle. |