Passage Gippsland Pinot Noir

Passage Gippsland Pinot Noir brings together fruit from three distinct vineyards across the region, with the majority sourced from the exceptional old MV6 vines at Nicholson River in East Gippsland. Planted in 1978 and dry-grown on alluvial soils, these vines contribute beautiful perfume and savoury depth. The blend is complemented by fruit from a 25-year-old, dry-grown vineyard on Baw Baw Shire’s red volcanic soils, alongside another MV6 parcel grown on granitic soils in West Gippsland, adding further structure and complexity.

Each parcel is destemmed and fermented with a high proportion of intact whole berries, using gentle pump-overs and hand plunging for careful extraction. The wines are matured separately for ten months in French oak, including 10% new oak, before blending and a further three months in stainless steel. Fresh, lean and savoury, the wine offers detailed red-fruit character with a subtle green edge and finely structured tannins. A distinctive, beautifully restrained expression of Gippsland Pinot Noir, and particularly special as the final vintage to include fruit from the historic Nicholson River vineyard.