2022 'Richard' Reserve Pinot Noir

DESCRIPTION

A 25 year journey to our first Reserve Pinot Noir. When we set out to establish a vineyard at Rylstone, the reaction from peers and our family in the Yarra Valley was incredulity. Why go to NSW and establish a new wine region which may be no good, when we should just establish ourselves in the Yarra and enjoy the cellar door traffic it brings. Our idea was that great Pinot Noir, like in our homeland of Burgundy, needs a continental cool climate (inland) and most of all, it needs to be grown on limestone (calcaire as it is called in France). The search for this ended in Rylstone, and it’s taken decades of establishing the vineyard, developing our wine style and gaining confidence before we were happy to produce a Reserve Pinot Noir. It’s named after Richard, our co-founder, as a testament to his grit, determination, and vision.  

TERROIR

The vineyard is located above Rylstone in the Central Ranges GI of NSW (40km southeast of Mudgee, 70km northeast of Bathurst). It was planted in 1998 by Richard & Janet de Beaurepaire, with a mixture of Bordeaux, Rhône, and Burgundy varieties with the intention of selling most of the grapes whilst organically growing wine production. The decision to plant the vineyard at this location over other established winegrowing regions (including family winemaking operations in the Yarra Valley) was due to the similarity of the terroir to Burgundy – the home of the de Beaurepaire family. The vineyard is in a mountain valley, 150 kilometres from the coast in the Great Dividing Range. It is planted on North facing slopes rising from the Cudgegong River to an altitude of 650m. Geologically, the vineyard is planted on an Ordovician-era (450 MY ago) coral reef with shallow sandy and sandy-loam soils on limestone. The altitude, distance from ocean and poor heat retention of the soil and limestone creates an inland continental climate with extreme diurnal variation – late Sept/Oct Budburst, Jan/Feb Veraison and March/April Harvest

VINEYARD

Vintage Conditions: Replenishing winter moisture set the vines up well, but the season still demanded attention: frost risk in spring and steady canopy work through summer. A cooler-growing-season feel delivered slower ripening, longer flavour development and naturally bright acidity. 

Fruit source: Pinot Noir from A Block (clones: 114, 115 and 777) from ~24-year-old vines.

Harvest (yield): Harvested on the evenings of 21 February and mid-March 2022. Yield was in the same small-crop, reserve-intent zone as prior releases (around ~4 t/ha / ~23 hL/ha).

VINIFICATION

Whole berry fermentation following two days of cold soaking in open vats (20%) and steel tanks (80%) for 2 months using wild (native) yeast. Not fined. Not filtered. Vegan friendly.

AGING Final maturation for 18 months was 20% in new French (Taransaud) oak hogsheads and 80% in 1 to 3-year-old hogsheads sourced from Taransaud (Burgundy). All barrels were finely grained and medium toasted.

Analysis at bottling: pH 3.46, TA 5.3 g/L, VA 0.31 g/L, RS 0.7 g/L.

TASTING NOTES

Medium ruby. Delicate aromatics of fresh strawberry, raspberry, red apple skin and rose petal, unfolding into ground black pepper, forest floor and damp earth. The palate is vibrant and finely structured: bright acidity, precise red fruit, and chalky, mineral tannins that sit up front and carry long. Elegant and restrained, with the quiet confidence of a Côte de Nuits style Pinot.

VIN ET GASTRONOMIE

Feathered game; lean red meats (venison, fillet steak, lamb); roasted white meats; black truffles; porcini mushrooms; light umami broths; fatty fish (seared tuna or salmon); beetroot salad with goats’ cheese, butternut squash and brussel sprouts; vegetarian risotto.

WINE TIPS

Cellaring Potential: 10 to 15 years

Serving Temperature: 14-16 degrees C / 57 to 61 degrees F

CLONES : 114, 115, 777

ALCOHOL: 13.5%

BOTTLES PRODUCED: 3,336 bottles (278 cases)

GI: Central Ranges (Rylstone), NSW