A magnificent aged magnum of Pinot Noir from an Iconic cool climate Estate in the Mornington Peninsula.
The Paringa team is confident the 2012 reds will be regarded amongst the Paringa greats. A hot weekend, then a week of solid rains in early March was followed by somewhat of an Indian summer. Pinot Noir yields in 2012 were down 20 – 30%, but resulted in great concentrated flavour & excellent overall quality. In the winery berries were de-stemmed (100%) and fermented in two-tonne open fermenters. Maturation took place over 11 months on lees in French Oak barrels (50% new). This wine has complex lifted aromas of red fruit / dark cherries supported by spicy savoury oak. The palate has attractive spicy dark cherry flavours, fine grained tannins that combine to produce a lovely textural mouthful. The poise & balance of this wine make it one of the best Paringa Pinots made in recent time.
The vineyard is set in the classic cool climate subregion of Red Hill at an altitude of 146 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir vines are aged between 20 and 30 years; six clones are planted each with subtle characteristics which impart complexity to the resulting wine. The soil is a deep red volcanic clay that allows dry farming, without irrigation. Founder, Lindsay McCall, still tends to the vineyard characterised by its distinctive Lyre or ‘U’ trellis system which sits on an elaborate steel frame assembly.
