Colmar Estate is seriously committed to Pinot Noir. Having increased plantings of the variety over the past ten years, they now grow more Pinot Noir than any other variety.
The new vintage releases comprise the 2022 Colmar Estate ‘Block 1’ Pinot Noir and 2022 Colmar Estate ‘Block 3’ Pinot Noir.
“2022 was a cool La Nina year and the challenge was in the vineyard, managing the vines to produce an evenly ripe crop,” says owner and vigneron Bill Shrapnel. “We spent a great deal of time moving through the two Pinot Noir blocks, cutting out any green fruit and bunches that we thought may detract from the final wine. The harvest was late, commencing on 19th April and not concluding until 2 May. The baumes were 13.0 to 13.3. This was perfect for our 980m vineyard, ensuring no harsh cool-year acidity.
“We want to make wines with structure and longevity; wines that will develop and build complexity with maturation. To this end, our wines aren’t pumped off the skins once the fermentation is complete. Instead, we let the wines soak on the skins for a period to build complexity with fine, soft tannins.
The two Blocks were harvested separately. The Block 3 Pinot Noir comprises three clones; 115, 777 and MV6. “115 and 777 usually make up 80 percent of the blend. Clone 115 is renowned for producing lighter and beautifully perfumed wines, and this wine reflects this, being the more elegant of the two.”
The Block 1 vines are the oldest on the vineyard, with these 32 year-old MV6 clones producing small berries with great colour, tannin, acid and flavour. The Colmar Estate ‘Block 1’ Pinot Noir has these grapes as the core of the blend (60 percent) with the remaining component comprising 777 grown on the adjacent Block 1 vines that were grafted to Pinot Noir a decade ago. “Typically the Block 1 is a touch more structured than the Block 3,” explains Bill.
Pricing & distribution: The Colmar Estate wines are distributed in NSW, QLD, and ACT by L’Atelier, and in other states by Colmar Estate. They are available via www.colmarestate.com.au
- 2022 Colmar Estate ‘Block 1’ Pinot Noir (Orange region) $65.00
- 2022 Colmar Estate ‘Block 3’ Pinot Noir (Orange region) $55.00
For further information, samples, interviews, or images please contact:
David Cumming at Define Wine Marketing & Communications: 0414 736 342 or david@definewine.com.au
Bill Shrapnel at Colmar Estate: 0419 977 270 or contact@colmarestate.com.au
Colmar Estate is owned by vignerons Bill and Jane Shrapnel, who purchased the cool climate, six-hectare vineyard in 2013. The vineyard sits at a lofty elevation of 980 metres on Orange’s Mount Canobolas (Gaanha-bula). Planted in the 1990s, the vineyard is one of Australia’s highest and comprises chardonnay, riesling, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, pinot noir and shiraz.