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Joshua Cooper

2020

‘Doug’s Vineyard’

Pinot Noir   |   Macedon Ranges - Australia
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

Doug’s Vineyard is situated on the outskirts of the township of Romsey, in the Macedon Ranges. Owned by the Newnham family it was planted nearly 25 years ago to predominantly MV6 and smaller amounts of 114 and 115 clone Pinot Noir. A cool hamlet, the vines sit at around 500m altitude, atop a North and North East facing hillside on red rocky volcanic basalt soil, moderating vigor and providing amazing intensity to the fruit, ripening small, beautifully formed clusters at low sugar levels.

Once hand harvested in the cool of morning, with careful sorting in the vineyard, 100% was transferred as whole cluster to open fermenters. The must was then allowed to soak 4-5 days at its cool ambient temperature until fermentation commenced. There after the grapes were gently extracted by a combination of pumping over and pigeage by foot. The wine then pressed after a total of three weeks on skins and transferred to two new (Laurent “Magic Cask” thick stave, blonde toast) seven young (2-4 yo Laurent “Magic Cask”)and ten old (6-10 yo) oak Burgundian piece for lees aging for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees. The wine was racked and bottled without fining, filtering, and with just a small dose of sulfur.

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
  • Vineyard: Doug's Vineyard
  • Vine Age: 23-years-old
  • Soil Type: Red, rocky basalt
  • Viticulture: Lutte Raisonée / Sustainable – dry-farmed
  • Fermentation: Native – open-top stainless steel fermenters (100% whole cluster)
  • Skin Contact: 21 days
  • Aging: 12 months in thick staved French 228l piece barrels (20% new), then 4 months on fine lees in stainless steel
  • Alcohol: 12%
  • pH: 3.85
  • Total Acidity: 5.5
  • Total SO2: 50 ppm
  • Total Production: 300 cases

Tasting Note

Deep ruby. Classical and very typical of Doug’s Vineyard, but slightly deeper and more brooding than previous releases. Aromatically filled with the typical exotic spice, rose, clod earth and sweet herbs and concentrated sour cherry and raspberry fruit. Long, fine and deep, with a firm silky tannic brace and cleansing, sappy acidity. As a young wine it will greatly reward time in the glass or decanter.

Press & Reviews

James Suckling

97

"This is a very complex, fragrant, expressive pinot that leads with red flowers, bright red cherries, some sappy elements, blood oranges, pomegranate and almost chalky minerals. Spicy oak and lightly reductive notes cut the edges. The palate has bracing energy and drive. The tannins have explosive energy and stream red-cherry flavor in three dimensions. Acidity ignites the finish. Wow. Drink or hold."
- Nick Stock

The Wine Front

94+

"It’s a pretty Australian thing calling a wine ‘Doug’s Vineyard’, no fancy domaine this or that or something aspiration. Just a piece of dirt with some vines in it that a bloke called Doug farms in Macedon Ranges, Victoria. This feels like it comes from a ‘Mac Forbes pick’, in that the wine is quite bony, reluctant and tight, lean and lower in alcohol, firm and unyielding in its youth. That being said, it feels like there’s lots of detail in the wine, and, importantly, it sure is vibrant. Scents of wet fern, fresh picked green herb, just ripe cranberries, cardamom and, curiously, Worcestershire sauce. The palate is more straight laced, red cherries, sour-ish though, more of that caradmon and some clove spice, blood orange acidity and something ferrous to close in the whisper of light, puckering tannins. It’s racy and strict, pale in its personality, you could say a little thin, but all the detail is there. Needs time, but is beautiful in its shy, quiet way."
- Mike Bennie
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Producer


Joshua Cooper

Region


Macedon Ranges

Country


Australia

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