DOUG'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR

There is energy and vitality in these Cooper Pinots. They're hopping with it. This 2021 Doug's Vineyard Pinot Noir is earthy and dusty (coal dust) and black, with a core of juicy, supple, exotic, almost sleek fruit wedged into the folds of tannin in the mouth. It's evocative and bloody, with an undertow of savory leaf (saltbush and tobacco) beneath it all. The flow and life here is a breath of fresh and eloquent air. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 94 Erin Larkin, www.RobertParker.com (Oct 2022)

Fragrant nose of kaffir lime leaves, cranberries, sour cherries and cardamom. Wild and spicy with bright acidity and fine, tight tannins. I like the energy and intensity. Drink or hold. Drinking range: 2022 - Rating: 93 Nick Stock, www.jamessuckling.com (Oct 2022)

Viticulture: Lutte raisonee/sustainable. Doug’s Vineyard is situated on the outskirts of the township of Romsey, in the Macedon Ranges. Owned by the Newnham family it was planted 20 years ago to predominantly MV6 and smaller amounts of 114 and 115 clone pinot noir.

A cool hamlet, the vines sit at around 500m altitude, atop a North and North East facing hillside on red rocky volcanic basalt soil, moderating vigour and providing amazing intensity to the fruit, ripening small, beautifully formed clusters at low sugar levels.

Once hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard, 100% was transferred as whole cluster to open fermenters. The must was then allowed to soak 4-5 days at its cool ambient temperature until fermentation commenced. There after the grapes were gently extracted by a combination of pumping over and pigeage by foot.

The wine then pressed after a total of three weeks on skins and transferred to two new (Laurent “Magic Cask” thick stave, blonde toast) seven young (2-4yo Laurent “Magic Cask”) and ten old (6-10yo) oak Burgundian piece for lees ageing for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees. Before racking and bottling, unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur.

Deep, dark ruby. Classical and very typical of Doug’s Vineyard, but deeper and more concentrated and brooding than previous releases. Sombre and deep, with black raspberry and maraschino cherry depth complexed by the typical exotic spice of Doug’s Vineyard. Structured by abundant silky tannin and fresh acidity. One of the most powerful vintages of this wine to day, though also one most well defined, owing to the cool, late season. As a young wine it will greatly reward time in the glass or decanter.