Moorooduc Estate Pinot Noir 2022 (Mornington)

Battered and bruised, a year you had to be brave if you were a grapevine. October and November 2021 were nasty. A significant rainstorm event, along with cold, windy and wet weather throughout this period contributed to what was a tough flowering and fruit set. Damage wasn’t confined to the pollination process, but young leaves and canopies copped a beating, resulting in subsequent lateral growth in canopies. It was a hard year, with meticulous work required in the vineyard throughout. The weather gods decided enough was enough: Summer settled, and mild weather prevailed. Resultant yields were low to say the least, with many areas of vineyards producing less than half their usual quantity. One outcome of the difficult flowering period was the prevalence of smaller berries, resulting from limited set of seeds within berries. This produced wines with intensity and structure from a larger than usual grape skin contribution in the winery. Wines evolved balance and finesse throughout their time in barrel.