Mount Mary - Pinot Noir 2022

Set in the heart of the Yarra Valley, Mount Mary is a family owned estate crafting finessed wines across 40 acres of vines. The Pinot Noir vines were sourced from Western Victoria in 1971. This material was acquired before individual clonal selections were considered, and as such, their older Pinot blocks are a mix of many clones. A visiting French ampelographer (vine expert) once told John Middleton (Founder) that there were in the order of 30+ clones in their original Pinot block. Subsequent plantings of Pinot on this site have been selections from the original block, and the clonal selection has been somewhat refined. There are also some newer blocks of Pinot noir planted (as of 2008) to American rootstocks and are of specific clonal material, namely MV6, 777, 667, 115 and Pommard. In the winery the emphasis is on simplicity

The diabolically low crops of 2022 and the warmer weather have led to this concentrated and intensely flavoured Pinot noir. The aromatics of this wine leap from the glass….bright, vibrant, pure fruits. Cherries, ripe stewed strawberries, quince and rhubarb are all easily detected on the nose. There is oak spice and a faint touch of roasted coffee thanks to the 18 months barrel maturation, comprising 25% new French oak. The palate again is concentrated, intense and pure. Flavours of cranberry, raspberry, quince (a real hallmark of Mount Mary Pinot), liquorice and spice. Something we love to see in our Pinots is tannin. We work extremely hard in the vineyard to unsure our Pinot noir fruit contains adequate tannins in the skins. Additionally, our winemaking practices encourage tannin extraction, as we see this as such a crucial component in high quality Pinot noir. The vintage shows this so beautifully and gives the wine structure, focus and length.