2010 Vintage Conditions
In 2003 the Croser family planted the first vines on their Maylands Farm, near Parawa at the apex of the Fleurieu Peninsula, half way between Victor Harbor and Cape Jervis. There are no other vineyards within 10 kilometres of this unique, very cool, foggy site, just 8 kilometres from the Great Southern Ocean.
The Foggy Hill Vineyard is 4 hectares of close spaced (1.5m x 1.5m) Dijon clone Pinot Noir on root stocks at 350m above sea level, planted on a north facing slope of sandy loam and clay over the 67 million year old laterite parent rock.
The younger 2 hectares of Bernard (Dijon) clones 115 and 777 is called Block 2 from which the grapes have been kept separate from those of the original planting to produce this Parawa Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir.
2010 was one of the warmest vintages on record at Parawa as elsewhere although there were no prolonged heat waves as in 2008 and 2009. Foggy Hill received 1283°C days of heat over the growing season against the long-term average of 1135°C days, mainly because of a very warm November in which the heat summation was nearly double normal. This early heat accelerated the growth and fruiting processes at Parawa ensuring an early harvest.
Winemaking Notes
The small black bunches of Block 2 Pinot Noir were hand harvested on the 5th of March, 3 weeks before the normal harvest date. They were transported to the Petaluma winery in the Piccadilly Valley where the grapes were de-stemmed, crushed and chilled to 1 tonne open fermentation tubs.
A four-day cold maceration preceded the initiation of fermentation. Fermentation took 8 days of daily hand plunging and reached a peak of 35°C. At the completion of fermentation the tubs were sealed down for a further 8 days of maceration on the skins.
The tubs were pressed gently in an airbag press and the wine was immediately gravitated to French oak barriques (30% new) with complete lees. The wine was left on full lees until the malo-lactic fermentation was complete. After malo-lactic fermentation the wine was clear racked and a small amount of SO2 was added.
After 10 months in barrique, Tapanappa Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir was clear racked, given a light egg white fining and bottled on the 18th of February 2011.
The in bottle analysis is: Alcohol 12.9%, pH 3.65, Total Acid 5.8gpl, Volatile Acid 0.58gpl, Sugar 0.5gpl.
The Wine
2010 Tapanappa Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir is the product of a warm vintage in a very cool site.
The fruit is very ripe and plummy but with the nuances of the exotic spices and florals which make Pinot’s elusive “peacock’s tail”.
The palate is fruit sweet but with a definite but silky tannin structure, always retaining the delicacy and elegance, which is the hallmark of this fastidious variety.
2010 Tapanappa Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir is “a pure expression of the unique Parawa, Fleurieu Peninsula terroir”.
