Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir 2021

Description

Shadowfax located 30 minutes from Melbourne was established in 1998.  Winemaker Alister Timms has a strong focus on regionality with the majority of fruit sourced and hand-harvested from their vineyards in the Macedon Ranges and Werribee as well as small growers in Geelong. Each and every vineyard has its own distinct characteristics and produces grapes of only the highest quality. They have taken tremendous strides in recent times, with the team refining the range and proving their prowess with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their single-vineyard Chardonnays have taken out Best Chardonnay at the Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition no fewer than five times. Especially noteworthy have been the Little Hampton Vineyard in Macedon’s high-altitude plantings of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Macedon is the chilliest region of Australia’s mainland, perfectly suited to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and its location south of the Great Dividing Range produces excellent acid retention in grapes. These are the vibrant future of Australia’s cool-climate wine scene.

From Al Timms, Winemaker about this wine… “Fruit for the 2021 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir was grown on the Little Hampton, Midhill, Big Shed, Straws Lane and Chanters Ridge vineyards.
A cool spring in the Macedon Ranges set medium-sized crops. A very cool summer and mild autumn led to a very long growing season. The 740m-high Little Hampton site has extra cool nights, helping to retain natural acidity in grapes that ripened late in the season with full flavour and phenolic ripeness. The Pinot Noir was handpicked in small batches in late April.
The fruit was carefully sorted and destemmed, with 100% whole berries going into small, open-top fermenters. Natural fermentation occurred with daily pumpovers and limited plunging to extract fine tannins and flavour. After two weeks on skins the wine was pressed and then racked into new (30%) and used French hogsheads where it rested and grew. The wine was then blended and filtered prior to bottling in February 2021.
This elegant Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir has brooding spice aromas including cardamom, star anise, sandalwood and citrus blossom. Dark cherries and wild berries give lift in the glass, as do hints of crispy bacon. The wine has intrigue and flair in the glass, evolving over time. Dark cherry and spice spill onto the palate. This generous Pinot has breadth and expanse, yet shows poise from seams of ripe tannins. There is complexity galore with sandalwood and Campari spice interacting with dark plum fruits. The palate is long and persistent yet light on its feet, bringing you back for more. This is a powerful Pinot and a fine example of cool-climate, high-altitude Pinot Noir. “– Al Timms, Shadowfax

95 points James Halliday Wine Companion “From four sites across the Macedon Ranges; hand picked, wild-yeast fermented, matured in French hogsheads and puncheons. A savoury, spicy, stemmy undertow takes its time in allowing red cherry and plum fruits full access, but with several returns to the glass the fruits hold sway on the bouquet and palate, the other components satisfied with the complexity they bring on the finish. Chalk and cheese to the 2020.”

Our Price $39.99 – LAST OF THIS VINTAGE.

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