Giant Steps Wombat Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022
SEASON:
2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley.
A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions
around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to
dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exacerbated the already small bunch weights, leading to bunches that weighed up to 40% lower than average.
The mild summer meant long, slow ripening and flavour concentration
throughout summer, with some well-placed rain in January refreshing the
vineyards at just the right time.
The strong canopies and low fruit load meant we sailed neatly into picking
with very little disease or weather pressure affecting our picking decisions.
The grapes from 2022 came off the vine with lovely concentration and
flavour and great natural acidity.
Wombat Creek Vineyard is the highest altitude vineyard in the Yarra Valley,
making it an ideal location for the production of extreme cool climate
wines. The vineyard was originally planted in 1988 with the intention of
producing base wine for sparkling production but over the years has been
gradually transitioned to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for table wine. The
underlying ferrous (red) based volcanic soil and rock produce a distinctively
soft yet long and firm palate that contrasts with the finer palates seen from
the nearby Applejack Vineyard (basalt based volcanic).
THE VINEYARD:
Location: Gladysdale
Planted: 1988
Elevation: 410 meters
Soil Type: Volcanic loam (red / ferrous)
Aspect: North-east facing slopes
Size: 16 hectares
Appellation: Yarra Valley
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
Clone: MV6
Alc/Vol (%): 13.5
TA (g/L): 4.6
pH: 3.69
Cellaring: Two - five years
Description
SEASON:
2022 was a high quality but low yielding season in the Yarra Valley.
A very cool, wet and stormy spring resulted in some challenging conditions
around flowering and hence very poor fruit set. The season proceeded to
dry out into December, with a dry and warm Christmas period. This exacerbated the already small bunch weights, leading to bunches that weighed up to 40% lower than average.
The mild summer meant long, slow ripening and flavour concentration
throughout summer, with some well-placed rain in January refreshing the
vineyards at just the right time.
The strong canopies and low fruit load meant we sailed neatly into picking
with very little disease or weather pressure affecting our picking decisions.
The grapes from 2022 came off the vine with lovely concentration and
flavour and great natural acidity.
Wombat Creek Vineyard is the highest altitude vineyard in the Yarra Valley,
making it an ideal location for the production of extreme cool climate
wines. The vineyard was originally planted in 1988 with the intention of
producing base wine for sparkling production but over the years has been
gradually transitioned to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for table wine. The
underlying ferrous (red) based volcanic soil and rock produce a distinctively
soft yet long and firm palate that contrasts with the finer palates seen from
the nearby Applejack Vineyard (basalt based volcanic).
THE VINEYARD:
Location: Gladysdale
Planted: 1988
Elevation: 410 meters
Soil Type: Volcanic loam (red / ferrous)
Aspect: North-east facing slopes
Size: 16 hectares
Appellation: Yarra Valley
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir
Clone: MV6
Alc/Vol (%): 13.5
TA (g/L): 4.6
pH: 3.69
Cellaring: Two - five years
