Long Gully Estate Single Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2020
- 90
- $38
- Drink by: 2022 - 2027
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A fine example of a youthful Pinot from the Yarra. Made with 100% destemmed fruit and followed by four days of cold soaking with daily punch downs, it was fermented dry with a further week on skins before aging in 15% new oak.
A slightly pale red and opens with gentle aromas, notes of forest floor and sausage meats, animal skins and florals – there is a surprising amount of complexity here for a wine so young. Attractively balanced, it is a wine of mid length and while a touch more would not hurt, it is very early days for this wine. There is also an attractive hint of a bitter almonds right on the finish.
This will be better in 2 to 3 years and this is the one problem I have with the Long Gully Estate wines. It is an impressive range, but most of the wines would benefit from another couple of years in the cellar (well, at least a year, even six months) before release. If you can cellar them, you will be handsomely rewarded.
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.
