2009 Marchand and Burch Mt Barrow Pinot Noir - Tasting Notes
Vintage Conditions
The 2008/2009 growing season was preceded by below average rainfall for the winter of 08, but it was still the best winter rain for several seasons. The spring was also punctuated with rain, but the wind and cooler weather did affect set in many varieties. The growing season was cooler and varieties ripened later than average. However, a benign end to the season saw all varieties ripen perfectly with
higher natural acids and fine tannin structures. A great Pinot year.
Fruit Sourcing
Mount Barker - The Great Southern, Western Australia
The 2009 Mount Barrow Pinot Noir is sourced from a great ridgetop site in the Mount Barker sub-region of the Great Southern in WA. This site has shallow soils over rock with a high component of lateritic gravel and a small loam content. The lesser sand patches are picked separately for other purposes. The VSP canopy has extensive shoot and green bunch thinning to ensure the bunches develop evenly.
The yield in 2009 was a small 2.67 T/ha.
Fruit and Must Handling
Individual handpicked parcels of fruit were transported by refrigerated trailer to the Denmark winery. The chilled bunches were hand sorted to remove damage, disease and leaf then gently de-stemmed to open fermenters. Pre-fermentation cold soaking for five days was used to extract maximum colour and optimise fruit flavour.
Fermentation
Spontaneous fermentation was used as this allows the natural yeast population to dominate the yeast population making for a more complex base wine. The ferment size was 1 or 4T and all were handplunged and pumped over from two to four times per day. This cap management varies according to the individual ferment needs. Post fermentation skin maceration was used for up to five weeks to build structure and palate weight.
Maturation
The separate parcels were matured for seven months in French barriques with around a 45% new oak component.
Finishing
The cooler 2009 vintage was ideal for Pinot Noir. This is a wine of the vintage: elegant with layers of complexity and a fine silky tannin structure.
Wine Notes
Color: The hue of this wine is a medium red with a slight purple hue.
Nose: It has ethereal aromas of red fruits, mushroom and vegetable stock with a whiff of bouquet garni herbs and spices.
Palate: This medium bodied wine has pinot noir typicity that seduceds with its balance, eveness and length. The red cherry stone fruit sweetness has a savoury and herbal edge wrapped in a filigreed tannin structure of great finesse. Very even through the palate and finishes with delicate aromatics, fine tannins and layers of complexity requiring more time and air to fully develop.
Technical Notes
Harvest Date: 31st March and 2nd April
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.57
TA: 5.7g/L as tartaric acid titrated to pH 8.2
Maturation: 7 months in 45% new barriques, 55% seasoned. Dargaud and Jaegle,
Damy and Francois Frere.