Joshua Cooper Doug’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

I’m pretty familiar with this wine and its flavour profile and shape, year on year, is very consistent. A little rounder than in the past, and slightly less structured, the tannins lacy. Different from those rough hewn cabernets! Sandalwood, fresh mixed herbs, blueberry and a compote of English summer red fruits. Mouthwatering backend finale, tightening, firming. As always, very beautiful indeed. Waters Wine Co

Doug’s Vineyard is situated on the outskirts of the township of Romsey in the Macedon Ranges. Owned by the Newnham family, it was planted 20 years ago to predominantly MV6 and smaller amounts of 114 and 115 clone pinot noir. A cool hamlet, the vines sit at around 500m altitude, atop a North and North East facing hillside on red rocky volcanic basalt soil, moderating vigour and providing amazing intensity to the fruit, ripening small, beautifully formed clusters at low sugar levels.

Once hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard, grapes were transferred to open fermenter with 20% as whole bunches and the remainder de-stemmed. The must was then allowed to soak 4-5 days at its cool ambient temperature until fermentation commenced. Thereafter the grapes were gently extracted by a combination of pumping over and pigage by foot.

The wine was then pressed after a total of three weeks on skins and transferred to two new (Laurent“Magic Cask” thick stave, blonde toast) seven young (2-4yo Laurent “Magic Cask”) and ten old (6-10yo) oak Burgundian piece for lees ageing for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees before racking and bottling, unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur.

Pale ruby. Another elegant and ethereal vintage from this lovely vineyard. Full of raspberry and blackberry fruit, rose petal and subtle crushed herb, it is deceptively concentrated. Long with ribbons of fine, silky tannin and creamy pinot fruits, combined with the typical exotic spice always evident in the Doug’s cuvée. Producer’s notes

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