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Musk Creek vineyard, perched atop Main Ridge and planted in 1997 by Kevin McCarthy and Kathleen Quealy, is considerably cooler and hence later-ripening than Quealy’s Tussie Mussie or Balnarring sites. As such, it’s a marginal place to ripen Pinot, and low yields are a must (along with plenty of canopy work). Sitting at 150 metres, these mature, dry-grown vines are rooted in the rich red soils of the region. The four-hectare site is planted to Pinot Noir (mostly MV6) and Gris in equal measure, with another hectare dedicated to Muscat Rouge à Petits Grains and Chardonnay.
As with the preceding vintage, the intense, low-yielding season warranted a more measured approach with bunches in the ferment. The low berry-to-stalk ratio didn’t warrant its use, so Tom destemmed all the fruit to better capture purity and precision. Fruit was harvested on 5th April and fermented over 28 days in small, two-tonne fermenters with minimal plunging and only light pressing. The wine rested on full lees in French hogsheads (25% new) for 13 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Elegant, savoury and complex, the quality of the vintage and site announces itself with finely pitched acidity and lengthy draw of suede tannins.