Description

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:
Owned by the Aylward family – founders of the renowned Kooyong winery- Ocean Eight was established in 2004 in the southern and cooler side of Mornington Peninsula. In their state-of-the-art, temperature controlled, gravity fed winery, winemaker Mike Aylward produces stunning cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, taking influence from the great wine regions of Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne. All the grapes for the Ocean Eight wines are sourced from the family’s 17 hectares of vineyard and their total production each year is just 5,000 cases.

THE VINTAGE:
Cold and wet spring weather disrupted pollination, causing lower than average fruit set. The South Eastern Australia region experienced La Niña during the 2020 vintage, which tends to result in below average yields. The summer was excellent for ripening Pinot Noir, with warm, big blue-sky days with no real extended heatwaves.

ABOUT THE VINEYARD:
Planted in 1999, the grapes come from a 5.5 hectare block of Pinot Noir in the Mornington Peninsula. The clones are a mix of MV6, 114 and 115. Situated at an elevation of 65 metres with a north-western orientation, the vineyard has a great airflow, which minimises disease pressure as the canopy dries quickly. The soil is sandy loam which provides excellent drainage, essential nutrients for vine health and imparts minerality to the flavour profile.

THE WINEMAKING PROCESS:
The grapes were hand-picked, meticulously hand sorted and destemmed. A cold soak took place for three to four days, prior to fermentation which took place in an open topped one tonne vats, using natural yeasts. Fermentation lasted for a period of four to six weeks, to maximise the aromatics. The wine was pressed to old, 500-litre oak puncheons of three to four years and matured in oak for 12 months. This wine was not filtered or fined prior to being bottled.

OUR TASTING NOTES:
A modern style Pinot Noir with a complex nose full of dark red cherries, a touch of vanilla complemented by hints of Earl Grey tea and rhubarb. The palate is beautifully knitted together with soft, velvety tannins in a supple yet rich style.

GRAPE VARIETY:
Pinot Noir 100%.

AWARDS:
• 97 Points, Decanter, 2023