Day 14 4th March

The exception proves the rule.

Making Pinot Noir on our minuscule scale requires a dedication to the craft of wine making and a sense of humour. The process is hands-on all the way. Hand pruning, hand selection, hand picking, hand plunging and hand wringing. (And foot pressing).

As the wine is coming towards the end of its primary fermentation phase with only a Be or so to go, it is time for it to go to press.

I like to still have some activity in the ferment so that the new wine is a bit safer against oxidation during the long pressing time it is subject to. It also means that we have a chance to keep the new wine naturally warm which will encourage malo-lactic conversion over the next month or so.

Temperature is less of a problem this warmish vintage but ideally, the new wine should be kept around the 20C mark until the Malic acid in the wine is converted to more soft and stable acids.

We will still be on the lookout for an early autumnal cold front which could interfere with progress though.

At this awkward stage the wine is all cherry spice and ripe raspberries with a depth of young colour typical of this vineyard. We’ve never had any problem with colour in any of our red wines because of our cool Continental climate with large seasonal and diurnal temperature differences.

It’s one of the reasons Orange was and is a fabulous environment for growing deep flavoured and deeply coloured apples.

After malo it will be softer and silkier across the already dense palate and should eat up the new oak I have selected to carry it through to the finishing line late this year.

The next stage will be when we rack it into oak. The colour is seriously deep for a serious Pinot Noir so it will receive some serious oak when the time comes.

Sometimes a man has gotta do what a man has gotta do.

And if that involves getting your pants off, so much the better.

Cheers,

Stephen and Rhonda