Campbell Mattinson 93 Points!
Campbell Mattinson 93 Points!
"Winemaker James Lance wrote this in an email but it's interesting and I'm sure he won't mind me replicating it here:
"Like many others, we had to spend a lot extra, and work a lot harder, to keep the vineyard in perfect shape. I calculated that we put in twice as many labour hours as normal. Yet yields were still ~ 1 t/acre. We had higher than normal rainfall, but due to our drier site, and good slope/drainage, the rain wasn't really a problem except for promoting vigour.
To me the biggest difference between 2011s and every other vintage was the lack of sunlight. Less colour formation and tannin formation in the skins shifted the tannin ratio in the wines to seed tannin dominant. The seed tannins taste and feel a bit different, and the tannins seem to be maturing more slowly than the normal tannin ratio does.
Less sunlight also meant less 'primary fruit' characters. I used to think that terroir was what was left in a wine after you oxidised all the fruit out. But 2011 changed my mind. Less sunlight reduced the primary fruit, and opened the window to more site related nuances."
The 2011 Lance's Vineyard? It's pinot noir as a gorgeous, complex drink. One sniff and I was hooked, and the bottle was drained pronto. Indeed it was one of those nights when several bottles were opened and it seemed as though nothing would suffice, I kept getting a third of the way through a glass before hitting the Abort Button. And then I latched onto this. It's exceptional light in colour but the colour doesn't mean a hill of beans. Sour cherries, earth, undergrowth, lots of tang, mineral, annin. It goes down a treat.woodsmoke. High acidity but it works..."
Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front, September 2013
Country:
Australia
Region:
VIC- Yarra Valley
Variety:
Wine Red - Pinot noir
Size:
750mL
