Murdoch Hill Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia 2021
Winemaker: Michael Downer
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Farming: Organic
Terroir: Sandy loam with influences of schist intermixed with shale rock formations, pockets of sandstone, and veins of quartz and ironstone. At an altitude of over 1100 feet.
Vinification: fermented in small batches in open-top vessels, with wild spontaneous yeast and 25% whole bunch inclusion. Maturation occurs in barrique and puncheons (15% new), for 10 months.
Tasting Notes: This Pinot Noir embodies elegance, with the depth of a Russian River Valley Pinot, and the nerve of a steely New Zealand Pinot, it finely captures the best of what Aussie Pinot Noir can do. Pair it with nearly anything, but it will stand up very nicely to a sweet and savory chicken tikka masala pizza, spaghetti carbonara, or an easy roasted salmon with miso.
From our January 2024 Club notes:
Murdoch Hill Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia 2021
Murdoch Hill Winery, situated in the Adelaide Hills wine region of South Australia, stands out for its commitment to crafting exceptional cool-climate wines that distinctly express the character of the surrounding landscape. The winery's hands-on approach, attention to detail, and a fusion of traditional and innovative winemaking techniques contribute to the creation of wines that consistently embody elegance, complexity, and a true sense of place.
The Downer family has been tending to this land in the Onkaparinga Valley of the Adelaide Hills since 1939. Raising everything from cattle to chickens, and growing potatoes and flowers, they eventually made the total transition to grape-growing in 1998. Their 20 hectares sit in sandy loam with influences of schist intermixed with shale rock formations, pockets of sandstone, and veins of quartz and ironstone. At an altitude of over 1100 feet, it is a perfect location for cool climate varieties, which are farmed organically by the Downers. Michael Downer, the youngest of his generation, studied winemaking and earned a degree in enology before gaining valuable experience at wineries such as Shaw + Smith, Vietti, and Best’s Great Western. At the helm of the winery today, he is widely recognized for putting his family’s vineyards and wines on the map with some of the country’s purest and most revered cool climate wines.
This fantastically fragrant Pinot Noir is a real demonstration of Michael’s adeptness. It is fermented in small batches in open-top vessels, with wild spontaneous yeast and 25% whole bunch inclusion. Maturation occurs in barrique and puncheons (15% new), for 10 months. This Pinot Noir embodies elegance, with the depth of a Russian River Valley Pinot, and the nerve of a steely New Zealand Pinot, it finely captures the best of what Aussie Pinot Noir can do. Pair it with nearly anything, but it will stand up very nicely to a sweet and savory chicken tikka masala pizza, spaghetti carbonara, or an easy roasted salmon with miso. —Simi Grewal