Vintage Notes
2008 was warmer than average vintage at Foggy Hill, accumulating 1207°C days of heat during the growing season versus the average of 1135°C days. The 2008 harvest season was one of the driest on record.
The heat wave at the beginning of March, which decimated other wine regions, had little effect at Foggy Hill, where only 12 days of the 15-day heat wave reached 30°C and only 5 of those reached but did not exceed 35°C.
Perfect small bunches of Pinot Noir were hand harvested on the 13th and 14th of March and transported to the Petaluma winery in the Piccadilly Valley about one hour North of Foggy Hill. The harvest analyses of the three clones were quite similar and averaged 24 Brix (% sugar), pH 3.65 and total acid 6.5gpl.
Winemaking Notes
The three clones of Pinot Noir fruit were separately destemmed, crushed and chilled to 3°C, 50ppm of SO2 was added and the must was placed into the 1 tonne open tub fermenters. The fermentation tubs were sealed down for 4 days for a cold maceration and were then 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 throughout the fermentation.
The fermentation on skins lasted 10 days and at its peak of activity reached 35°C for a two-day period. When all of the sugar was exhausted, the tubs were sealed down for a further 7 days of juice contact with the 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 the balance of one and two year use French oak barriques were used.
The wine was allowed to sit on lees until the malo-lactic fermentation was complete in September, after which it was racked and SO2 was added before the wine was returned to barrique. After 8 months in barrique, the wine was clear racked in late December, given a light egg white fining, and was bottled without filtration in March 2009. The analysis of the bottled wine is: alcohol 13.8%, pH 3.68, total acid 5.8gpl, SO2 88ppm, and volatile acid 0.4gpl.
The Taste Of The Wine
Tapanappa 2008 Pinot Noir from Foggy Hill Vineyard is of medium plus colour intensity and cerise in hue. The aromas are ripe and exotically fragrant of preserved black cherries and mulled wine spices with a ripe mulberry component. The flavours are rich, sweet and spicy, and are balanced against the tannin and acid without the interference of alcohol. The tannins are significant, but soft and savoury, and the whole wine is melded into a complex but seamless fabric of aromas, flavours, and tastes and texture. This is the second exciting wine of the new Pinot Noir terroir at Maylands Farm at Parawa at the apex of the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
