Sarsfield Estate

tasting notes

Bright colour, a light to medium purple red.
Rich, but relatively closed and undeveloped nose with ripe plums and subtle oak.
The palate is full and round, with plenty of ripe, plummy flavour and firm, but balanced tannin texture. Good length.
This is a bigger wine than the 2005 vintage, yet still with good Pinot noir balance and style. It will develop complexity over at least five years.
- Nick Bulleid, MW (Master of Wine)

best drinking

2009 – 2014

reviews

Vibrant cherry and plum fruits with some stem evident; nice weight and serious texture, and very fine acid balance on the very long finish.
94/100 James Halliday: Wine companion 2009

• Silver medal International Wine Challenge, Vienna 2008
• Vinea d’Or, Mondial du Pinot noir 2008, Switzerland

vineyard

Sarsfield Estate Vineyard is located in the Lakes and Wilderness area of East Gippsland, Victoria. Vines and crop levels are carefully managed to produce grapes of the highest quality.

vintage

A warm spring with plenty of rain was followed by a hot and very dry summer, with only a third of our usual rainfall from December to April.
Many grapes shriveled, and died on the vine with high sugar levels, but without reaching full maturity. Irrigation and selective picking saved part of the crop and the 2006 wines look surprisingly intense and balanced. However, it was certainly not an easy vintage.

winemaking

Fermented in small batches, hand plunged and pressed in a hand-operated basket press. The wine is matured in French oak barriques for 18 months and bottled unfiltered.
Alcohol: 14.3%, Titr. Acidity: 6.7 g/L, pH: 3.45