2023 Ten Minutes by Tractor Down The Hill Pinot Noir

95 pts
A vibrant, silky Mornington Pinot that highlights the charm and approachability of Ten Minutes by Tractor’s lower-elevation vineyards.

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Description

Ten Minutes by Tractor has long been one of the Mornington Peninsula’s benchmarks for Pinot, and their “Down The Hill” bottling brings together fruit from the estate’s lower-elevation vineyards. These sites tend to ripen a little earlier, giving wines that are plush, open and immediately appealing, while still carrying the detail and finesse that defines the house style.

The 2023 season on the Peninsula was mild and relatively long, which meant steady ripening and fruit that arrived at the winery in great condition. As always, the winemaking was gentle – wild ferments, careful extraction and French oak that frames rather than dominates.

What you get in the glass is a Pinot that’s fragrant and silky, with plenty of bright red fruits and spice, a fine line of tannin and a long, easy finish. It’s approachable now, made for drinking in its youth, but has just enough structure to reward short-term cellaring too.

“Down The Hill” has always been about charm and drinkability, and the 2023 shows exactly why it’s become such a favourite in the Ten Minutes range.

95 points
"An excellent and quite densely packed pinot noir."
- Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

Huon Hooke

Huon Hooke

The Real Review 95 Points

Medium-deep ruby with subtle traces of purple in the rim; the bouquet has a complex array of red cherry, raspberry, stony mineral and five spice aromas, the palate intense and rich with concentration and fleshy extract aplenty, the tannins smooth and ample throughout the length of the palate. An excellent and quite densely packed pinot noir.

Vintage
Higher-than-average rainfall during flowering and throughout the season resulted in lower yields across all sites. Flavour and sugar development were prolonged, providing extended hang time, greater intensity, and drive.

Vineyards & Clones

Coolart Road (78%), Capella (17%), Mihaly (5%)

MV6 (70%), Abel (25%), 777 (5%)

Harvest Date & Yield
Handpicked 20–29 March 2023 :: 0.7–5.7 t/ha

Brix / pH / TA
12.1–13.3 :: 3.2–3.4 :: 6.0–7.5 g/L

Winemaking
Handpicked and hand-sorted, mostly destemmed with some whole bunch used in separate parcels. Fermented in a mixture of concrete and stainless-steel fermenters after a 4–5 day cold soak. Wild yeast fermentation with an average of 16 days on skins. The wine was pressed to tank, then racked to barrel, with each parcel kept separate. Underwent natural malolactic fermentation and aged in a combination of old and new puncheons and barriques.

Winemakers
Imogen Dillon, Martin Spedding

Aging & Oak
10 months in French oak barriques and puncheons (12% new).

Residual Sugar
Dry

Finished pH / TA
3.64 :: 5.6 g/L

Alcohol
13.0%

Production
Bottled February 2024 :: Screwcap

Tasting Notes
Baked cherry and floral lift jump from the glass. Compote, ripe cranberry and raspberry flow across the palate with a savoury backbone driven by graphite and clove spice. Earthy tannins bind the wine together, leading to a finish of length and persistence.

Food Pairing & Serving Temperature
Braised beef cheek bourguignon with duck fat potatoes and a fresh garden salad :: Serve at 13–16°C

Best Drinking
2024–2034

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country Australia
Region Mornington Peninsula
Australian State VIC
Reviewed By The Real Review
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 13%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Screw Cap

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