2011 Drake 'Samson' Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley - A wine by Matt Dunne

My first release - food-friendly pinot noir from a trio of single vineyards 
 




2011 Drake 'Samson' Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley Victoria

It's always been a dream of mine to get involved with producing a wine and last year I was excited to be given the opportunity.  The concept of the brand 'Drake' is about enjoying interesting wine with great food. 'Drake' is a male duck, which is the ultimate food match with pinot noir, whilst the name 'Samson' refers to two guys with plenty of curly hair, and a bit of flair!  Drake 'Samson' Pinot  Noir is a collaboration between the Yarra Valley’s Mac Forbes and myself (us of the curly hair).  2011 was a wet and cold vintage – a struggle for many. The wines I have seen so far are all lighter coloured styles but deceptively full flavoured.  I like the vintage for its approachability and elegance. They are wines to drink now but make your own mind up about the vintage as there are some good wines out there.

If you would like to try a bottle or 2 of Drake Samson, I've put details of how to order at the bottom of this post.

  

Why pinot?  I love the wines of Burgundy so traditionally that would mean I have a soft spot for the king and queen varieties... Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  I also love Mac’s single vineyard wines as they speak of their origin in the Yarra Valley - a region I have always been a fan of.  Mac has a wealth of experience which also spans overseas where he makes wine in Austria every year. His attention to detail and respect of the fruit is shown strongly in his winemaking.  From my end I wanted to help create a wine to suit modern cuisine, something interesting to think and talk about but at the same time not being too serious. A wine to enjoy no matter what the season, but with a good story.



Foot stomping the Seville fruit

Drake Samson turns Mac’s normal individual vineyard philosophy on its head, blending from three vineyards to create a style perfect for modern Australian cuisine. Killara vineyard is located on the banks of the Yarra River in Seville. We tasted through rows of berries in the vineyard, the higher up the riper and fuller they tasted - overall 2011 fruit is  high in acidity with low sugars.  Killara in 'Seville' makes up 33.3% of this blend and this site is made up of hard duplex soil bringing perfume, freshness and red currant crunch. 16.7% of the blend comes from the 'Yarra Glen' vineyard which offers tannic profile and chalkiness and is an east facing vineyard with granite soil.  The third vineyard, 'Coldstream’, makes up most of the blend (50%) and is southwest facing, adding opulence and textural elements being a warmer site with greater sun exposure. Coldstream has grey loam soils overlaying clay and 13 year old vines.  The MV6 clone is in all three vineyards and this is the sole clone used for the Drake.

The wine was hand picked and the cold soak was at 7 degrees. It spent 10 days on skins and was fermented in small open fermenters.   Most of the fruit was destemmed, we used about 10% whole bunch. The purpose of using whole bunch is to trap perfume in the wine and to build some complexity. Primarily hand plunged and foot stomped before maturation in large French oak (Damy) with one quarter new. The wine was racked only once prior to bottling which was in March.

This year the 2012 vintage is looking really exciting and we are making a blend from two single vineyards - Coldstream and Seville.  Stay tuned for an update on how it's progressing, the wines are currently in barrel and have just finished malolactic fermentation.

Tasting notes for 2011:  Perfumed nose of sour cherries, cranberry and garden herbs and then a super light, nervy palate with spicy rhubarb, sweet raspberry and savoury tannin profile.  Light bodied, full flavoured with a long, firm and dry finish with tight acid structure. 

In the Mac Forbes Winery

Would go well with:  Warm duck salad with roasted beetroot, quinoa, green beans and pomegranate.  If you are into cheese I like this pinot with 'cloth aged' cheddar and quince paste. What is your favourite food match with pinot noir?

Tell your friends:  Pinot noir is one of the most versatile grape varieties on the planet.. serve it at room temperature or serve it slightly chilled to completely change its dimensions.

Quantity produced:  135 dozen

To order:  RRP  is $30 per bottle

1)   Order direct:  2 bottles for $60 | 6 bottles for $160 | 12 bottles for $280
       (All prices with free freight included)  
2)   Contact Nicholas Crampton at Fourth Wave Wine                 
       nicholas@fourthwavewine.com.au or Mobile: 0417 670 655

Thanks:  Big thanks to Mac Forbes, Nicholas Crampton, Tony Fikkers, Andrew Dunn, Aaron Woods & David Baxter for their efforts, patience and enthusiasm with this project.

Shot of the 2011 Fruit