By Farr Tout Près Pinot Noir 2018
Tasted blind, this Pinot Noir had an explosive nose and a cloudy colour.
Producer
Wine by Farr is a family winery founded in 1994 by Gary Farr and now run by Nick and Cassie Farr. Its founder began his career in 1978 as the inaugural winemaker at Bannockburn Vineyards, just over the fence from the Farr family vineyards.
Site
The Farr estate lies in the Moorabool Valley between Geelong and Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. Tout Près was planted in 2001 and rises above the other vineyards on the estate. With 7,300 vines per ha, it is the most densely planted vineyard there, which is why it carries a French name meaning "very cosy". Its three slopes each have a different soil: black volcanic soil over limestone, quartz gravel with red ironstone, and grey sandy loam.
Vinification
The wine is fermented with 100 per cent whole bunches in a five-tonne oak fermenter and goes into 100 per cent new French oak from Allier.
In the glass
I guessed Pinot from the nose, and there was a note of soy sauce. Acidity was high, the fruit was generous, and there was a damp, dank side to it. It was thought to have something of the Gros family about it, with Michel Gros suggested as a producer whose wines might feel like this. On the palate the fruit was good enough to cover the dampness, though the core was also described as a little weak, as if slightly watered down. The earthy smell was thought to recall Gevrey-Chambertin, and the wine felt cold, with the acidity of a cold-climate wine.