I think it is the best Pinot noir I have made in the Yarra.
Dave 'Bro' Mackintosh, Winemaker
About The Wine
The 2017 season looks set to go down as one of the great Yarra Valley vintages of recent times, and this is another excellent Pinot Noir release from one of the region's brightest boutique producers in Arfion.
The Willowlake vineyard that supplied the fruit for this Pinot is one of the most highly regarded in the Yarra. The cooler conditions, steep south-facing slopes and ancient volcanic red soils result in fruit with detail, elegance, perfume and fine structure.
Dave says that in 2017, "We had time to eat, drink (heaps of beer) and not stress. I think the wines show this relaxed balance."
Half of the fruit was fermented as entirely whole bunches, the other half completely destemmed.
This is a beautifully easy, gentle Pinot that unravels itself in the glass. Charming, intriguing wine with not a hair out of place.
About Arfion
New Zealand born Dave "Bro" Mackintosh is the head man at Arfion.
After cutting his teeth at Oyster Bay, Dave settled in Victoria's Yarra Valley and after working with Steve Flamsteed at Giant Steps, began his own brand Arfion: which means 'Our Wine' in Scottish Gaelic.
Dave is all about letting the fruit do the talking, guiding rather than forcing, constantly searching for the simplest way to get young, energetic wines into the bottle for people to enjoy.
His Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are all effortless examples of wines made with a ‘less is more’ mentality. By working with some of the best growers in the Yarra Valley, Dave has put together a gorgeous range of wines that have interest and drinkability in spades.
Yarra Valley, VIC
From The Producer
Picked early to retain fresh acidity and bright flavours, 50% of our blend was 100% whole bunch /carbonic fermented with wild yeast for 16-18 days, after which we pressed direct to old French barriques for malolactic ferment and ageing.
The remaining fruit was destemmed but not crushed, to leave as many whole berries as we could. They were held on skins for a period of 16 to 25 days with very little touching.
After pressing, the wine was matured in new (18%) and old barrels for another 9 months at cold temperatures without sulphur. This has added a savoury edge and a fine juicy tannin. A bit of sulphur but no fining or filtration pre bottling.
Blend : Pinot Noir (100%)
ABV : 13.50%
Closure : Screw cap
Drink Until : 2030
Bottle Size : 750ml
Critic Reviews
Little reductive at first, a whiff of smoke but then fruit comes rushing to the fore. Lifted aromatics of sweet red fruits, with some darker, earthen characters playing second fiddle. Orange and campari. The palate is light-to-medium bodied, with a gentle, seamless palate full of red cherries and raspberries, and faint dustings of spice and tannin. Finishes long and fresh as a daisy. Both playful and serious, and not a hair out of place. - Different Drop Wine Team
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