Clandestine Vineyards Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2021
- 92
- $30
- Drink by: 2022-2025
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For a first effort with the legendarily tricky Pinot Noir grape, the team at Clandestine Vineyards have done remarkably well. I suppose that if you wanted to make a Pinot, then the 2021 vintage is the year to start, and the Adelaide Hills the place to source grapes. So far, so good! Sourced from the Tomich Vineyard near the town of Woodside, the team had access to several Burgundian clones of Pinot. 15% whole bunches are used and the remainder of the harvest was crushed into open fermenters with ten days skin contact, hand plunging and then pressed to French oak, 30% of which was new. Eight months maturation in the same oak followed.
Pale crimson in colour and on the nose and immediately some lovely varietal notes. Brambles, forest floor, tobacco leaf touches. There is some whole bunch involvement that is apparent, though not overly so. The Goldilocks version of whole bunch inclusion, if you like – just right. Spices, cherries, soy, creaming soda notes all emerge. A lovely, savoury Pinot. Silky tannins. Enjoyable now but in two to three years, one suspects an even higher score and a better wine. This really is good value.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
