Description
Helmut Konecsny, the owner of Rochford Wines, has purchased Toolangi Vineyards and has immediately started ringing in the changes. Of course, it’s early days, but from what we have seen so far, the future for Toolangi now looks very, very bright. Apart from the new packaging, Konecsny and his team seem very serious about rejuvenating and upgrading the work in the vines. This was, after all, one of the few Yarra producers to engage the services of renowned soil scientist Claude Bourguignon on his recent visit to Australia, and the Toolangi vineyard was one of the sites he analysed. In terms of winemaking, Toolangi will now control its own destiny with the talented duo of Kaspar Hermann (stints at Seville Estate, Viticoltori De Concillis in Campania, Coldstream Hills, Punch and 8 years as assistant winemaker at Mount Mary before joining Toolangi) and Kelly Healey (started his wine career in Otago in his homeland of New Zealand then Chandon in the Yarra Valley and Moet & Chandon in India, followed by a spell at Kilchurn in Macedon). Crucial to the Toolangi team is experienced viticulturist, John Evans (previously Chief Viticulturist at Yering Station for 14 years, Vineyard Manager at Yarra Ridge and worked at De Bortoli, as well as various Vineyard Consulting roles including the setup and redevelopment of Toolangi Vineyard in 2001, which he has continued to this day.) Safe to say, John knows the Yarra like the back of his hand and exactly how to get the best from the Toolangi vineyard.
There are now only two tiers of wine—the Toolangi and Paul’s Lane labels.
Fruit was destemmed as whole berries, with 5% as whole bunches. A short cold soak prior to fermentation and on skins for 14 days. The wine was pressed to French oak (5% new) for malolactic conversion on lees and in oak for 10 months.
Hand-picked on the 1st of March. 2021 was a welcome return to ideal growing conditions in the Yarra Valley. A prolonged, classical season allowed for brilliant definition of flavour across the range. Fruit was destemmed as whole berries, with 5% as whole bunches. A short cold soak prior to fermentation and on skins for 14 days. The wine was pressed to French oak (5% new) for malolactic conversion on lees and in oak for 10 months.
From the winemaker: “There is a nice array of expression so early here that’s good to see! Rose petal spiced plum and strawberries with some crushed nutmeg on the nose. The palate exhibits similar flavour spectrum with some nice density to it, trademark Toolangi tannin to close but its fresh and ready to go!”
93 points, Campbell Mattinson “Get onto this. It’s an excellent wine at an excellent price. It has power and presence, fruit and spice, and it crackles long through the finish. Whole bunch influence here is clear but the fruit swaggers on through. I tasted this a few months ago and liked it; I tasted it again today and loved it. It’s a good trajectory. Beet, cherries, nuts and stemmy, smoky spices aplenty. It’s not the top wine in the Toolangi range but it acts as though it is.”
RRP $36 Our Price $29.99 while stocks last – last bottles of this vintage!
(New vintage available as Special 6 Pack Buy … click here)
