Montalto Estate Pinot Noir 2022 (Mornington)

Montalto is a Halliday Red Five Star winery located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The award-winning winemaking team, led by Simon Black, develop wines for three labels from vineyards expertly managed by Dan Prior, across the cool-climate and coastal location.

Their focus is to create wines of exemplary quality and character, utilising winemaking techniques that complement the unique qualities derived from their vineyards, in a style that reflects each vineyard site.

Consistent rainfall in winter and early spring coupled with a slightly warmer September/October made for reliable bud burst and strong vine shoot growth, however some undesirable weather events during the flowering period resulted in poor fruit set with most impact noted in the Tuerong subregion. Fortunately, the fruit that did set had the benefit of favourable weather patterns providing for a long, gentle ripening phase with low to moderate disease pressure allowing us to harvest at optimum ripeness. The results were outstanding fruit quality with wines generously weighted and showing wonderful intensity of perfume.

Hand harvested grapes were sorted before gently de-stemming into 2 tonne open fermenters and allowed to soak for between 3 and 7 days prior to the onset of wild fermentation. Ferment temperatures were allowed to peak at 32˚C. A post ferment maceration of 4 to 7 days followed before pressing. The wine was lightly racked to French oak barriques and puncheons (26% new) for natural malolactic fermentation and 11 months maturation.