Vintage Notes
2007 was warmer than average vintage at Foggy Hill, accumulating 1249°C days of heat during the growing season versus the average of 1135°C days. The January to March ripening period was very dry apart from a rain event in late January.
Perfect small bunches of Pinot Noir were hand harvested on the 14th of April and transported to the Petaluma winery in the Piccadilly Valley, about one hour north of Foggy Hill.
The three clones were destemmed, crushed and chilled in separate batches to open one tonne fermenting tubs.
The harvest analyses of the three clones were quite similar and averaged 22.5 Brix (%sugar), pH 3.65 and total acid 6.9gpl.
Winemaking Notes
8% of each clone was chilled as whole bunches and added to the bottom of its clone’s fermenter. The balance of the fruit from that particular clone was chilled to 3°C after being destemmed and crushed, 50ppm of SO2 was added and the must was placed on top of the whole fruit bunches in the appropriate fermenter. The fermentation tubs were sealed down for 4 days for a cold maceration before being seeded with a yeast strain selected from our own vineyards. Our own strain of malo-lactic bacteria was added at the same time. The tubs were hand plunged morning and night for 10 days.
The fermentation on skins lasted 10 days and at its peak of activity reached 35°C during a two- day period. When all of the whole fruit had been broken, and the sugar exhausted, the tubs were sealed down for a further 7 days on skins.
The contents of the tubs were transferred to a small air bag press and drained and lightly pressed to barriques without any settling. A mixture of 30% new and 70% one or two year use French oak barriques was used.
The wine was allowed to sit on lees until the malo-lactic fermentation was complete in September of 2007, after which it was racked and SO2 was added before the wine was returned to barrique. Finally, after 8 months in barrique, the wine was clear racked in late December 2007, given a light egg white fining and was bottled without filtration in February 2008.
The Taste Of The Wine
Tapanappa Foggy Hill 2007 Pinot Noir is medium to light in colour and cerise in hue.
The aromas are delicate and exotically fragrant of Campari, cherries and five-spice with a richer mulberry component.
The flavours are delicate sweet and spicy and are balanced against the tannin and acid without the interference of alcohol – it is as though the wine is built around its water component. The tannins are significant, but soft and savoury, and the whole wine is melded into a complex fabric of aromas, flavours, tastes and texture, which is seamless.
This the first exciting taste of the new Pinot Noir terroir at Maylands Farm, Parawa, at the apex of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
