Description
This leading Pipers River producer in Tassie has done well here. Michael Caldwell (viticulturalist/winemaker- with experience at Te Kairanga and Joseph Chromy) overseas the 12 hectare vineyard and employs classical Pinot Noir winemaking techniques: hand sorting fruit, cold soaking, whole bunch inclusion, hand-plunging and wild fermentation; to create wines that combine fruit intensity with layers of texture and persistent varietal characters.
About this wine from the winemaker: ““Dalrymple Pinot Noir is a true reflection of our unique vineyards. Carefully selected parcels from Pipers River, Coal River Valley and our growers at Ouse create complexity and nuance. The refined aromas of wild blackberries, red summer fruits, and herbal notes evolve into blackberry and blackcurrant. The firm and elegant palate has a fine acidity, while flavours of red cherry, cranberry and tamarillo build over time, creating a truly remarkable experience. This wine is a celebration of the unique character of our vineyards, a reflection of the time, care and passion that goes into every bottle.”
“Spring, summer and autumn in Pipers River and Coal River Valley were above average in temperature. There were some cool stints in early spring as the weather system returned to El Niño. Autumn in both regions was warm and dry, allowing the grapes to ripen in perfect conditions.
“Small batches of Pinot Noir were selected from sites in our vineyards at Pipers River and Coal River Valley. Each site and block has different clones and terroir, adding their own strengths and complexity to the final blend. The cooler northern maritime location at Pipers River produces Pinot Noir that is focused and structured, while the Coal River Valley in the south adds texture and softness to the mid-palate.
“Each of the parcels were picked based on their merit. Fermentation started after two to three days and continued for four to five days, with five to ten percent whole bunches, depending on site. The cap was plunged up to three times a day to extract colour and tannin from the skins. The wine was then pressed and settled before being placed into French oak barriques (20% new) for 9 months, where malolactic fermentation took place prior to filtration and bottling.
“Ripe plum fruit, red spiced cherry, cranberry and boysenberry with hints of a savoury note adding further complexity. The palate continues the theme, coupled with the softness of silky tannins and fine acidity giving structure to the fleshy, red fruits matched with clove and Asian five spice from the French oak. The finish is long with a pleasantly lingering, fresh, blue floral note.”
Newly arrived 2024 vintage is here and on song … reviews for 2023: 93 points, Mike Bennie, The wine Front “It’s a seamless and even pinot noir, very polished, just so. Dark cherry, a cranberry elements, a touch of lemony coolness and zestiness through the wine, a cushioning of sweet spices, dark chocolate too. It’s brooding but feels soft, if not a touch diffuse, but has its charms and guile. A bit of lathed wood character creeps in. It’s got some flair and finesse.”
93 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion “Garnet with wild strawberry, red cherry and red plum fruits with hints of struck flint, poached rhubarb, pomegranate, exotic spice, dried mountain herbs, wild flowers, gentle gamey notes and turned leaf litter. Some nice fruit concentration this year with some darker plum notes coming in on the palate, tight, chalky tannins and a bright, briny acid line. Finishes sapid with a sour cherry rush.”
RRP $51 *Our Special Price $35.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
