Description
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Winery rating “Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy were among the early waves of winemakers on the Mornington Peninsula. They challenged the status quo – most publicly by introducing Mornington Peninsula pinot gris/grigio (with great success). Behind this was improvement and diversification in site selection, plus viticulture and winemaking techniques that allowed their business to grow significantly.” James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
This Pinot Noir vineyard was established by Doctors Campbell and Christine Penfold in 1994. In the 90s, new premium clones became available – slightly bigger, looser bunches that controlled vine vigour and ripened to effusive dark crimsons, indicating a great volume of tannin. The greatness of their vineyard stems from the clonal selection of MV6, 114 and 115 with the confluence of shallow, clay-rich soils in the warmer sub region of Balnarring.
Campbell & Christine Penfold’s vineyard is located on the coastal plain, 30 metres elevation behind Balnarring Village. The vineyard maturity is evident in the profound flavour of the wine. The soil is duplex; the top soil is a mixture of alluvial clay and the red soils washed down from the Red Hill above. This upper zone is quite shallow; underneath is a less permeable clay now broached by the roots of the mature vines. Irrigation is no longer or rarely necessary.
The vines are pruned to a single arch, minimizing vigour, reducing canopy size and forcing the grapes to ripen. The style of wine is very concentrated, masculine and satisfying for a Pinot Noir drinker.
