It’s eight years now since the talented trio of Onannon made their first wine together, and they’re going from strength. If you missed the memo, this supergroup comprises three close mates with one goal: to craft wines that speak a little of themselves and a lot of their place. Sam Middleton, Kaspar Hermann and Will Byron each contribute the last letters of their surname to make Onannon. A friendship forged in winemaking studies was cemented in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with each of them serving stints at Coldstream Hills in the Yarra Valley in the noughties. Sam and Kaspar are still based in the Yarra, making wine at Mount Mary, while Will works at Stonier on the Mornington Peninsula.
Since kicking off in 2008, Onannon’s focus has been Pinot Noir and the regions of Gippsland and Mornington Peninsula. In 2012 they added a first Gippsland Chardonnay, while Mornington Pinot Gris and a Yarra Rosé were added in 2015. All wines exude great confidence and deft touch. “You would have to go a long way to find three more open-hearted and utterly committed winemakers; the world is their oyster, their ambitions unlimited,” wrote James Halliday, who’s kept a close eye on them since the Coldstream days.
The verdict’s in on the latest wines, and those famous eyebrows have been raised again in wonder at the brilliance of the boys of Onannon.
2016 Onannon Mornington Peninsula Pinot Gris RRP $31
The vineyard Onannon manages in Red Hill has two acres of Pinot Gris. Handpicked and pressed immediately, settled overnight, then racked to a 50/50 mix of old barrels and tank. Seeded immediately. No MLF. The wine saw only minimal SO2 just prior to bottling in August.
2016 Onannon Yarra Valley Rosé RRP $28
Made from Yarra Valley Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in equal proportions. The fruit was pressed to tank, settled, then racked to barrel and tank for fermentation. The wine was kept cold to prevent MLF and was then racked to tank, filtered and bottled in July with minimal SO2.
2015 Onannon Gippsland Chardonnay RRP $41
This is the third year the Onannon trio have worked with Bill Williams and the team at Tambo Estate. They took the I10 clone from 20-year-old vines, which Bill painstakingly sorted. The fruit was placed straight into a cool room as it was being picked, and then trucked back in the cool of the night to be processed straight away. Sam, Kaspar and Will crushed the clusters and threw a little whole bunch into the press, settled the juice overnight and then racked it to barrel. They played around with different levels of solids. A combination of yeasts were used to help build some complexity. No MLF. 20% new French oak. Ten months in the barrel.
“A stylish Chardonnay with the abundant flavour East Gippsland can provide, protected in this instance by the exclusion of mlf. As it is, the flavour spectrum is firmly stone fruit/melon/fig, acidity the key in keeping the fruit under control, and simultaneously providing length. 95 points.” James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2017
2015 Onannon Gippsland Pinot Noir RRP $41
A blend of two vineyards, one from south Gippsland the other from east Gippsland. The majority (70%) is sourced from the high-density vineyard (18-year-old vines) of respected grower and winemaker John Ellis in Berrys Creek, South Gippsland. In 2015 the team used predominately 114/115 and MV6 clones. The other vineyard (17 years old, MV6) is Lightfoot & Sons in East Gippsland. The fruit from both vineyards was 100% destemmed into separate fermenters with minimal SO2. The fruit was cold soaked for six days, after which time fermentation began. Primary fermentation took eight days with temperatures reaching 34 degrees. The wine was immediately pressed and settled overnight before being racked to barrels to sit on gross lees. The wine was racked prior to bottling in late December. Unfined and unfiltered.
“From two vineyards, 6 days cold soak, open-fermented, matured in French oak. The light, but bright, colour gives no hint of the intensity and length of the savoury/foresty base to the red fruits of the long, finely structured palate. A wine of considerable finesse. 95 points.” James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2017
2015 Onannon Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir RRP $41
A blend of two vineyards. Onannon’s original Red Hill site (23-year-old vines, MV6, 777) and a site in Shoreham (18-year-old vines, MV6). The fruit from both sites was handpicked and then transported back to the winery where it sat in a cool room overnight. The team used the 777 clone as the whole bunch portion (15%) and fermented that separately as a 100% whole bunch ferment to be blended back later. The must soaked for 4-5 days until indigenous fermentation took place. The primary fermentation took between 5-8 days, after which both ferments had one week post maceration. Natural MLF finished within 10 weeks, after which the wine was racked and sulphured. They bottled the wine in late December. Unfined and unfiltered.
“Good colour; has the power, line and length of its sibling, and adds a dimension from its plummy fruit. This has all the requisites for a 10+-year future. 96 points.” James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2017