Lightfoot

Lightfoot & Sons Cliff Block Pinot Noir 2023 | Gippsland

Name: Lightfoot & Sons Cliff Block Pinot Noir 2023 | Gippsland
Brand: Lightfoot
SKU: 9343445000114-2023
Price: 52.99 AUD
Availability: InStock

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Dozen Price: $635.88

RRP: $60.00

Lightfoot & Sons Cliff Block Pinot Noir 2023 Gippsland – 93 Points, silky, seductive, earthy. This exceptional Gippsland Pinot Noir from Myrtle Point Vineyard showcases black cherry, dark plum and rhubarb with earthy notes and spicy French oak, crafted with 16% whole bunches and hand-plunged fermentation in 20% new oak, delivering a vegan-friendly wine of subtlety and complexity from Terra Rossa limestone soils.

Tasting Notes

Appearance

Deep ruby with vibrant crimson hues and excellent clarity, displaying the rich, textural character of this exceptional 2023 Gippsland Pinot Noir from the Cliff Block at Myrtle Point Vineyard.

Aroma

Silky and seductive with layers of black cherry, dark plum and rhubarb, beautifully complemented by earthy notes and spicy French oak. The illusive "pinot character" is written all over this wine, showcasing the unique terroir of the limestone bluff vineyard with reductive, smoky and meaty nuances that open beautifully with air.

Palate

A little darker and more textural than the Myrtle Point Pinot Noir, this generous example of Gippsland Pinot Noir delivers subtlety and complexity that is a joy to drink. Tangy and juicy with morello cherries, rhubarb and daikon alongside herbal inflections and a decent whiff of charcuterie reminiscent of bresaola. Charry oak spices and an appealing Angostura bitters flavour define the tight palate, with 16% whole bunches enhancing structure and aromatics. The finish shows slight green edge to the tannins with a little puckering, reflecting the cool vintage and hand-plunged fermentation.

Pairs With

This earthy Gippsland Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with hearty food including roast duck, beef Wellington, wild mushroom risotto, venison casserole, aged Gruyère or Comté cheese, or charcuterie boards with bresaola, with the wine's textural character and earthy notes making it perfect for rich, savoury dishes and sophisticated dining.

Made exclusively from fruit grown at the Myrtle Point Vineyard in the coastal Gippsland Lakes District, this vegan-friendly wine benefits from decanting.

Reviews

"There's often a reductive/smoky/meaty character to this wine and this vintage it seems to be exacerbated by the stemmy/twiggy/punchy character of the 20% whole bunches included during fermentation. It is best to decant this, as with air it opens up. Also at play, the cool and wet vintage, so there's not the usual structure to Cliff Block. It's still very good, but in a lighter vein, with lots of upfront acidity. It's tangy and juicy with morello cherries, rhubarb and daikon and lots of herbal inflections. A decent whiff of charcuterie - think bresaola - with some charry, oak spices, too. There's an appealing Angostura bitters flavour across the tight palate, with a slight green edge to the tannins, and a little puckering on the finish. Best to match this with hearty food."

93 Points - Jane Faulkner, Halliday's Wine Companion

✓ Vegan

Wine Specifications

Variety: Pinot Noir

Size: 750mL

Region: Gippsland

ABV: 13.6%

Vintage: 2023

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Winery & Vintage Info

Winemaking Notes

The Cliff Block Pinot Noir was crafted with a focus on expressing the unique terroir of the Myrtle Point Vineyard. Fermentation began with 16% whole bunches included to enhance structure and aromatics, whilst the remaining fruit was destemmed to preserve purity and varietal character. All fruit underwent fermentation in open tanks, hand-plunged twice daily to gently extract flavour, colour and tannins. After 10 days of skin contact, the wine was pressed and transferred to French oak barriques, with 20% of the barrels being first-use, allowing for a nuanced integration of oak influence. Both malolactic fermentation and maturation took place in barrel, adding complexity and texture to the wine. The wine was carefully racked and blended in late November, before bottling in late December, capturing the vibrant expression of the vintage whilst maintaining balance and finesse. Senior Winemaker Alastair Butt notes: "I think it's a sign of a good pinot when it's got pinot character written all over it and yet it's hard to describe." This vegan-friendly wine is silky, seductive and earthy with layers of black cherry, dark plum, rhubarb, earthy notes and spicy French oak.

Vintage Conditions

2023 was a welcome change after the very challenging previous few vintages. The La Niña conditions that had been present for the previous couple of years persisted through the spring, however this provided plenty of water and fortunate breaks in the wet conditions coincided with flowering and so there was a successful fruit set overall. The canopy was shoot-thinned in the spring, and then carefully managed through the early summer period, resulting in well-positioned shoots and a nice, airy and light-filled fruit zone. The La Niña conditions ended at Christmas time and there was a pretty much dream run up until harvest. Nice dry, moderate temperatures meant that the vineyard progressed towards harvest at a slow and steady rate, with the actual harvest beginning a bit later than the long-term average on 20 March 2023. This gave the grapes a chance to develop great flavours without accumulating high sugars and thus high alcohol levels. The Cliff Block is situated at the southern end of the Myrtle Point Vineyard, located on a limestone bluff high above the Mitchell River. The exposed site is naturally low-yielding and consistently produces Pinot Noir with great intensity and complexity. The soil structure of the vineyard is classic Terra Rossa over limestone, which is highly unusual in Gippsland.