Mayer Pinot Noir

Close Planted Pinot Noir

Wine Description

As the name suggests, this wine comes from a densely planted portion of Timo’s Bloody Hill vineyard, where vines are positioned only 75 cm apart from each other. Timo likes to use a proportion of whole bunch to give his wines a particular stalky savoriness, which is very much a trademark of his Pinots. For this cuvee he does an 100% whole bunch ferment with a portion of the grapes, and blends that back with the destemmed component. The ratio of each changes with every vintage. The finished wine has fragrant whole bunch characteristics, fresh red fruit, and plenty of spice. Delicious and balanced, with a very long finish.

Vineyard Image of Bloody Hill, with the name imprinted on the lawn of the vineyard
Photo of Timo and Rhonda in the Vineyard
Photo of Timo in the Vineyard
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Acclaim
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Vineyard & Production Info
Production area/appellation:
Yarra Valley
Soil composition
Shallow topsoil with broken sandstone over rock
Elevation:
200 meters feet
Bottles produced of this wine:
2,160
Certified Eco-Friendly Practices:
Sustainable
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
100% Wholebunch Blend
Fermentation container:
open vats
Maceration technique:
Natural ferments in open vats, some destemmed and others wholebunch
Type of aging container:
Hogs Heads
Total SO2
50
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.61
Acidity:
4.9 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %
Total SO2
50
Residual sugar:
0.15 g/L
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Wine Production

After hand-picking the fruit is partially destemmed. A mix of destemmed and whole bunches undergo natural ferment in open vats, with minimum intervention. Wines are then aged for 11 months in French hogsheads on lees. They are only handled once, the week before bottling when they are put in a blending tank and lightly sulfur adjusted. Wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

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About the Vineyard

Grapes are sourced from a less densely planted part of the Bloody Hill vineyard, which is south of Healesville on the base of Mount Toolebewoong. The vineyard lies on a very steep 2.5Ha plot, with shallow gravel topsoil interspersed with broken sandstone over rock. The altitude is around 200 meters above sea level. Climate is cool in relation to the rest of Australia's viticultural regions, with rainfall in the winter and spring, and relatively cool, dry and humid summers. There is limited maritime influence.