Description
Hurley Vineyard wraps north to east around the crest of a little volcanic hill in Balnarring on the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria, Australia. Kevin Bell and Tricia Byrnes are immersed in the task of showcasing what their 3 differing single vineyard plots or climats can express. Burgundy clearly inspired them to this endeavour, not to mimic the wines from the Cote d’Or in terms of taste but the ethos of single site expressions, terrior driven wines. Planted in 1998 and 1999 the estate has 3.43 hectares of Pinot Noir across 3 clearly defined climats: Lodestone, Hommage and Garamond.
Kevin says: “Our principles are: organic viticulture, non-irrigation, low yields and true expression of the terroir of a vineyard and the individual climats within a vineyard”.
Hurley Vineyard’s position receives abundant sunshine and free-moving air, yet is well-protected from strong winds by 100 year old pine trees and the surrounding topography. The hill is capped by stony, red-brown earth. This ‘Older Volcanic’ soil type is quick to warm and slow to cool, and retains moisture and drains freely.
Winemaking consists of hand-picked fruit arriving to the winery where grapes are cooled overnight before 100% destemmed whole berries (no whole-bunch) go into 2 ton open top fermenters. Pre-ferment maceration cold soak of approximately one week before fermentation with natural yeasts. Pieage twice a day then post ferment maceration 5 to 7 days vintage dependent. Gravity fed into a basket press then into barrel for aging. Kevin and Tricia are passionately committed to one cooper, Sirugue, based in Nuit St George. Kevin highlights that he loves the fact the staves are air-dried for a minimum of 4 years before they are used for the barrels, giving the wood time to season and low toasting. 1/4 to 1/3 new oak for the elevage of each wine, 20 months approx total aging, no racking at any stage until bottling and under gravity.
Kevin and Tricia were thrilled with the 2021 vintage describing it as a dream season but unfortunately the yields were down 50% on previous vintages! After the anomaly that was the very warm 2019 vintage (producing fuller bodied wines with high alcohol) 2021 has seen the return to Hurley’s classical style in all its glory. Such was the quality of the grapes that no Estate label was made, all fruit went into each single vineyard label – we think all three single vineyard wines are the finest releases we can remember from this top shelf estate.. not sure Pinot can get much better than these!
The Lodestone vineyard is north-facing vineyard of 1.4 hectares that was planted in 1999. It’s exposition due North means it gets the most sun exposure of the three climats. It contains the Burgundian clones 114, 115 and 777, as well as MV6. Lodestone is magnetite, an iron mineral abundant in the vineyard soil hence the name.
Lodestone is the warmest of the single vineyards, and is always harvested first. Accordingly, the wine can be powerful and concentrated, but not coarse or extracted. Its four clones enhance its natural complexity. Lodestone is earthy to the nose and sweet to the palate. It is usually moreish and satisfying. The fruit is darker in character than Hommage and Garamond, and the tannins more evident, reflecting the heavier, rockier, clayey soil. There is often a hint of dried sage.
Notes about the 2021 by winemaker, Kevin Bell: “The fruit was harvested by hand on 16 and 17 March 2021, fermented under the action of indigenous yeasts, basket pressed after twenty-one days in vat and bottled in November 2022 after twenty months in barrel (one quarter new).
Mid-ruby. The nose is a complex mix of flowers, fruit and the forest floor. There are violets, raspberries and black cherries alongside crushed nuts and ferny undergrowth. This is a full-flavoured but medium-bodied wine that tastes of intense red and black cherries which end with length and persistence. It is tightly structured at this stage and ready to uncoil with a little time. Fine tannins and fresh acidity frame this very balanced wine. Alc 13.2%. Closed with Diam cork. “
“Medium-light ruby/brick-red colour; the bouquet is very foresty, savoury, underbrush and humus, leaf litter and flake tobacco. Ethereal faded flowers. In the mouth, it’s fine and firm, light to medium bdied and yet has good intensity and focus in the middle palate, the fnish cleansed by balanced, drying tannins. Lovely flavour in a more savoury style of Pinot.” – 92 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
RRP $99 **Our Special Price $78.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine**
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