Hockirch Pinot Noir Maximus 2005   

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About

This Pinot Noir comes from a biodynamic vineyard in a cold part of Victoria, 3 hours west of Melbourne.  Made very carefully and naturally, it is also bottled by hand, unfiltered, using gravity only.  “Maximus” means their top Pinot as in lesser years a simpler Pinot is produced.

Tasting notes

This has exotic and perfumed aromas of earth, leather and sweet red fruit aromas giving it a classy Burgundian feel.  The palate is richly flavoured, well structured with good acidity and fine tannins.  And there’s a touch of spice on the finish.

Grapes

100% Pinot Noir

Vine age

8-9 years old

Vineyards

See the introduction to the winery.  Biodynamics, high density planting, strictly limited yields, no irrigation and the cool climate all permit the vines to flourish and develop intensity and depth over a long growing season.

Yield

30 hl/ha

Harvest

Hand harvested 30th March to 4th April.

Winemaking

20% whole bunches were kept in and all fruit was cold soaked in small open fermenters for up to 5 days before the fermentation started.  Only wild yeasts were used, with temperatures rising up to a warm 34ºC with pigeage 4 times a day.  The wine was pressed after 14 days, setted before racking by gravity to barrel.

Maturation

15 months in French oak barriques, 30% new with a single racking and a very long slow malo.

Bottling

Bottled by hand using gravity only and no filtration in July 2007; a cork closure is specially