This flavorful and textured Pinot is vinified with around 50-60% whole clusters, which gives the wine a stemmy and spicy mouthfeel. Flavors of red fruit, black cherries, plums, and baking spice jump from the palate, and silky tannins lead to a lingering finish. New World Pinot skeptics, you need to try this bottle.
The Farrside vineyard sits on a northeast-facing slope and consists of limestone topped with black volcanic soil. The vines were planted in 2001 and run east-west to protect the fruit from overexposure to the sun. Even though the Farrside and Sangreal vineyards are only 300 metres apart, the darker soils and cooler growing conditions of the Farrside vineyard mean these grapes are picked 10 to 12 days after all others and produce a more masculine and edgy wine.
40-50% whole cluster. 50-60% new Allier barrels
Gary Farr first attempted to contact Burgundy growers in 1983. He sent off over 100 letters with only 1 response... Jacques Seysses (perhaps because Jacques himself was an outsider, not part of the historical suspicion, perhaps).
Gary had been a grape grower and wine maker for Bannockburn Wines, with a thirst for the unique qualities of Cote d’Or pinot noir. He wondered continuously how to produce the same finesse, assuming it was due to the underlying limestone, some of which could be found locally. Thus began a multi-year course in Burgundian cellars, every year at Domaine Dujac and others. He soon developed many friendships with the then-young generation (all-stars now in their mature years!) including Dominique Lafon, for a look at Chardonnay, who was also on his experimental path.
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