Stonier Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

Made from a selection of Pinot Noir parcels harvested from a number of vineyards across the peninsula, but focused towards the region's cooler south near the small town of Merricks. The handpicked fruit was mostly de-stemmed into small open two and three tonne fermenters, with daily hand plunging and gentle pumping over during fermentation. Approximately 5% of the fruit was fermented in separate two tonne fermenters as whole bunches. Once completed, the wine was pressed to a mix of fine grain French oak puncheons and barriques (15% new) for the malolactic fermentation and maturation. A portion of the final blend was also retained in stainless steel tanks, to promote vibrancy in the wine. Black cherry and rose greets the nose, the palate has a strong core of dark to red fruits, with hints of dark chocolate and fennel spice, the tannins are supple and well integrated.