2016 Moorooduc Estate Pinot Noir The Moorooduc McIntyre McIntyre Vineyard
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The Wine.
This single vineyard wine from our home vineyard in Derril Road is further evidence of what our fine vineyard site and mature vines can produce in a really good year. It includes some wine from interesting clones grafted onto our old Cabernet vines (planted in 1983).
Deep garnet in colour with lifted red and black cherry, generous aromas of wild sage, thyme and bay leaf with mushroom and soy sauce savouriness. On the palate, intense, velvety tannins balance dark cherry fruit, dark chocolate and rich earthy savoury notes. The finish is long and structured, and the wine cries out for pan seared duck breast with a bitter cherry sauce.
Description
The 2016 Vintage.
Another lovely vintage, generous in style and quality. The even conditions this vintage lead to wines of power and structure, with a lovely core of fruit. While the 2015 wines were all about fruit purity and high natural acidity, our 2016 wines are about rich, ripe fruit and phenolics resulting in intense ripe, structured wines which should, like the 2015’s, cellar well for many years.
Winemaker: Richard McIntyre
Viticulturalist: Hugh Robinson
Vineyards: 100% McIntyre vineyard
Vinification.
Hand harvesting, 100% destemmed
100% wild yeast primary fermentation
20 days total on skins
Natural malolactic fermentation in barrel
17 months in French oak, 25 % new
No fining or filtration
Richard’s comments on 2016 Vintage
RICHARD’S SAY
It is a pleasure to write about the three 2016 single vineyard pinot noir wines that we are releasing with this newsletter.
These wines are the stars of another beautiful vintage for us. Five of the seven consecutive vintages to 2016 have been outstanding. These are 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
2015 is widely accepted as an outstanding vintage in south eastern Australia. Not everyone is as enthusiastic about 2016 but we are.
2015 wines are about fruit purity and high natural acidity. Our 2016 wines are about rich, ripe fruit and phenolics resulting in intense ripe, structured wines which should, like the 2015’s, cellar well for many years.
The Moorooduc McIntyre Pinot Noir 2016 is emerging from its post-bottling awkwardness. Those who know the wine will see it as typical but with extra richness and structure to go with usual dark fruit and spicy complexity.
The Robinson Vineyard Pinot Noir from 2015 and 2016 are, I believe, the best we have made. I particularly like the 2016 for its intense red and dark fruit and extra structure. Who knows what a little bottle age will do but those who have recently tasted the 2012 version of this wine should surely be a bit excited about the prospects.
Whole bunch fermentation works best in a ripe year with ripe tannins. It is therefore not surprising that the 2016 Garden Vineyard Pinot Noir, 100% whole bunch, is particularly successful. I love the integrated dark fruit with hints of (Campari-like) savoury complexity and heaps of fine mouth-coating tannins.