Kooyong Meres Pinot Noir 2020
- 94
- $75
- Drink by: 2022-2028
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A single section of the Meres Vineyard, just 0.6 hectares, provides the fruit for this Pinot. The low yields are attributed to the exposure and the clay subsoils. The team see this as providing a wine more red-fruited in nature than some and certainly more robust and aromatic. I could not agree more. Fermentation is in large concrete and stainless steel tanks with a percentage of whole bunches included. The fermentation, which happens with native yeasts, takes around three weeks, before pressing into French oak barriques, which will be around one-quarter new.
The wine is pale crimson in colour with aromas of tobacco leaves, forest floor characters, spices and animal skins. The character imbued by whole bunch inclusion is evident. This is very much savoury in style and moves to dry herbs, cranberries and coffee grinds. A slightly leaner palate than some, but a wine that is clearly well crafted. Very fine tannins too, though there is a touch of grippiness, and a very long finish. Will drink beautifully for four to six years but should also go on from there.
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.
