Handpicked WinesWombat Creek Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2018
About this product
Planted on steep slopes at higher elevation than any other vineyard in the Yarra Valley, Wombat Creek Vineyard boasts a long, cool growing season that is perfect for Pinot Noir wines with a beguiling mix of power and purity. This wine has excellent palate weight, layers of red fruits and velvety tannin unfolding over a long finish.
Season
There were no big heat spikes in the 2018 season, but it was a warm season overall and the harvest was a little early. Cool weather and regular rain up until Christmas made a slow start to the season, setting up good ground moisture and vine health coming into summer. Extended dry, mild weather over January and February was excellent for ripening Pinot Noir fruit. Bunch weights were high, leading to good yields.
Winemaking
The fruit was handpicked in mid-March in cool, dry weather then chilled before destemming and vinification in open fermenters with wild yeasts and hand plunging. The wine was matured for 11 months in French oak barriques and puncheons. We chose a mix of used and new barrels from a selection of Burgundian coopers.
Planted on steep slopes at higher elevation than any other vineyard in the Yarra Valley, Wombat Creek Vineyard boasts a long, cool growing season that is perfect for Pinot Noir wines with a beguiling mix of power and purity. This wine has excellent palate weight, layers of red fruits and velvety tannin unfolding over a long finish.
Season
There were no big heat spikes in the 2018 season, but it was a warm season overall and the harvest was a little early. Cool weather and regular rain up until Christmas made a slow start to the season, setting up good ground moisture and vine health coming into summer. Extended dry, mild weather over January and February was excellent for ripening Pinot Noir fruit. Bunch weights were high, leading to good yields.
Winemaking
The fruit was handpicked in mid-March in cool, dry weather then chilled before destemming and vinification in open fermenters with wild yeasts and hand plunging. The wine was matured for 11 months in French oak barriques and puncheons. We chose a mix of used and new barrels from a selection of Burgundian coopers.
- TypePinot Noir
- Size750mL
- RegionYarra Valley
- Current Vintage2018
- Standard Drinks7.8
- Alcohol Volume13.1%
- CountryAustralia
- StateVictoria
- Brand NameHandpicked Wines
- Wine MakerPeter Dillon
- Food MatchDuck
- ClosureScrew Cap
- Wine SweetnessDry
- Wine BodyLight Bodied
Gold- Royal Perth Wine Awards 2019; Gold- Royal Hobart Wine Show 2019; Gold- Royal Queensland Wine Show 2019.
- More about Huon Hooke
Huon Hooke
Prolific Australian wine reviewer for Fairfax Media and The Real Review
Vintage 2018
93 points THE REAL REVIEW
Medium red colour with a tint of purple. The bouquet is sweetly vegetal and stemmy-perfumed, indicating whole-bunch ferment, the palate sinewy and lean, with tannin and structure aplenty—even a little bitterness—but not that richly flavoured. There's a lot to like. Intense and long.
James Halliday
Australian wine writer, critic and winemaker
Vintage 2018
93 points James Halliday Wine Companion
The first impression is one of whole-cluster: twiggy mezcal scents to Indian spice. Candied orange rind, red berry tang and chutney flavours, all. The finish is long, pocked with spiky tannic accents and spice. This will resolve itself with patience, although a little shins and elbows now.
Ratings and Reviews
