Riposte The Dagger Pinot Noir 2022 (Adelaide Hills)

In Contrast to 2021 the crops in 2022 were quite low although quality was excellent, again aided by a long, cool but sunny ripening period.

The 2022 Dagger is made from four clones of Pinot Noir, MV6, 777, 114 and 115. The MV6 and 777 are from Riposte’s usual growers in Gumeracha and Charleston, now thankfully recovered from the December 2019 fires, while the 114 and 115 are from a new supplier at Lobethal. More clones equals more complexity!

Harvested in the cool of night and early morning, pristine de-stemmed fruit is tipped directly into fermenters without crushing to give a high percentage of whole berries. The fermenters are gently pumped over twice a day to keep the skins wet and promote gentle tannin extraction. After pressing the wine is kept in stainless steel tanks prior to blending to preserve freshness and vibrancy.