2018 Airlie Bank Pinot Noir

Airlie Bank

Australia / Yarra Valley / Airlie Bank

Our third release of this wine as a spring Pinot, with the growing and making of the wine geared for imminent enjoyment. We source the fruit from Pinot clones with bright aromatics and crunchy acidity (777 and 115). We avoid barrel age, but supplement this with a hefty dose of whole bunch fermentation (this tranche is 60% - a new record), and plenty of time on full lees. The wine is unfined and minimally filtered to retain pinosity. The sunny, clear days of the 2018 harvest provided bright and bold Pinot fruit, making this the most tense and energetic Airlie Bank Pinot Noir to date.

April, 2019

Mike Bennie

The Wine Front

92 points.

Fragrant, cherry-imbued wine of fresh fruit and purity on hand. Glossy textured, crisp tannins, cherry flavours, soft and bright, perhaps a little overtly sweet, assured in freshness, good drinkability. A little charming smokiness chimes in for detail. Good wine here.

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About Airlie Bank

Airlie Bank dares to treat drinkers with respect by delivering wines that are delicious and true - as well as remarkably good value. Tim Shand and the team enjoy freedom to push boundaries. Their small-batch ethos has led to a great deal of creativity and ever-decreasing doses of sulphur. Nothing is off the cards when they sniff an opportunity to make a more compelling wine, as demonstrated by its 100% whole bunch Cab Franc and goon-bag fermented Sauvignon Blanc. Pure drinking pleasure is the one-point manifesto of Airlie Bank, and the thirsty take-up across the board shows that they're hitting the mark.

About

Tim came to the Yarra Valley with vintages under his belt at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy and Château Margaux in Bordeaux, as well as stints in Chianti, Oregon and Chile. Since then he had a hand in some of the region’s headline-grabbing wines of recent times during his tenure at Giant Steps before taking the helm at Punt Road in 2014. Tim and the team are making most of the freedom to push boundaries while making the most of the excellent fruit the Yarra Valley gives rise to.