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
Delivery is Free for any order of $99 or more, or just $10 for any orders less than $99. There is no minimum order quantity and you can order in any combination you like. Make your perfect mixed pack!
Estimated Delivery Times for each postcode can be viewed here.
Authority to Leave and other delivery instructions can be left in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the here page before the final checkout page.
Warehouse Pickupis available from our Sydney warehouse in Ultimo, 2007. Just select Local Pickup at checkout. We are open 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.
Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here
For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 1300 668 385..
Do I have to order in dozens? No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!
Are there volume discounts? No, our pricing is designed to be the best in market already - no marking up and then discounting down! For very large orders (weddings, etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call.
Do we price match? Yes, within reason. Everyday low & consistent pricing is something we strongly believe in. We want our customers to feel confident they are always getting the best price. If you see a price lower somewhere else let us know and we'll consider matching it. We'll even retrospectively issue you store credit if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.
Can coupons and discounts be stacked? No, only one discount or coupon can be applied to an order at once.
I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me? This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 1300 668 385 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.
Does Different Drop have a physical store? No. Just an a warehouse/office. We occasionally do events however, so sign up to our newsletter or follow us on instagram to stay in the loop.
Can I special order a wine you do not sell? If it’s doable, then we’ll make it happen. Just contact us directly via phone, chat or email and we’ll find out for you right away. Please note that in most cases special orders such as these will need to be in full case lots (6 or 12 bottles).
More FaQs: here
Sign up for the latest news & special offers
No spam, just the good stuff!