By Farr Tout Pres Geelong Pinot Noir 2022

The 2022 vintage took the brunt of La Niña again, bringing unpredictable weather. The distinctive nature of this vintage was that it was predominantly cold and damp, with dry spells in between. The waterlogged grounds and occasional frost coverage stunted the budburst and early shoot development. Surpassing a frosty spring, the warmth came, and the vines started to respond with robust growth. Once again, however, wet weather during flowering throughout November and December meant yield quantity was under fire. Abundant rain combined with some warmer conditions increased disease pressure. Low heat throughout summer meant that ripeness was a slow process, resulting in a delayed harvest overspilling into April. Despite the challenges, this vintage wine shows vibrant fruit, delicate aromas, and a resilient character.

The fruit was hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard. Following a four-day cold soak, the grapes were 100% whole bunch fermented in a large oak fermenter before the wine was transferred by gravity to 100% new Allier Remond barrels, where it was racked twice: firstly after malolactic fermentation and again after 18 months before bottling.