Pinot Noir 2005

Vintage

Isabel Wines

Tasting Note

Wow, this wine is gaining weight rapidly – with a nose of brandied cherries/kirsch liqueur, violets and lavender. Very lifted aromatics, indicating the power to come. The palate, for a young Pinot Noir, is quite dense and full with flavours of spice and nutmeg, then a character of prosciutto ham is noticeable. The finish is long and fruit driven with fine, dry tannins and a little minerality – unmistakable Isabel family resemblance.

This wine will reward you with further time in the cellar or, for us less patient, one hour in a decanter before indulging!

Accolades


“Savoury nose with a red berry lift… gamey notes and touch of spice on a fresh, clean palate.”
WineState Magazine, Australia, 2007

“Garnet. Red currant and rhubarb on the nose. Earthy ‘barnyardy’ fruit. Mid bodied wines – dry but with pleasant tannins.”
WineNZ Magazine, Winter 2008

Isabel Vineyard Pinot Noir Grapes

Further Vintage Reports & Tasting notes

Vineyard
Isabel Estate Block 4, Rows 154-256
Block 2, Rows 63-142

Variety
Pinot Noir Clones: DRC.ABLE, UCD 5, UCD 6,
CIVC 375, AM10.5 Dijon 113, 114, 115, 667, 777

Harvest Date
6th-13th Aprill 2005

Bottling Date
13th June 2006

Right from the start, the ’05 growing season had all the indications it was going to be cool. In fact, it ended up as one of the coolest summers on record – so much for that perfect tan! Mercifully, the rain only came when needed and the late ripening stage (or ‘hang time’) went on and on and on… Although still cool during ripening, the sun shone throughout and enabled grapes to be hand picked at optimum ripeness.

- Mike Newman

The long, slow ripening of our Pinot Noir offered berries of the teeny weenie variety with intensely fresh and lively flavours. All fruit was de-stemmed and placed in fermenters according to clone where they enjoyed an extended cold soak. Our state of the art Pinot Noir cuverie was ‘my hero’ this year as it ensured juice received the gentle plunging it required – extraction of colour and flacour without abusing the ‘must’.

Fermentation employed both wild and selected yeasts, ensuring a complete flavour portfolio. Maintaining our focus on minimal handling, we utilised gravity to transfer the wine into our underground cellar where it rested in 100% French barrels for 10 months. To retain the pure fruit flavours so evident at harvest, we kept new oak to a minimum – utilising only 15%.

- Patricia Miranda

Harvest Analysis
Brix: 23
pH: 3.2
TA: 7.0-8.5g/l

Wine Analysis
13% alcohol
5.3g/l Titratable acidity
<1g/l residual sugar