Producer Notes - "Viticulture: Lutte raisonee/sustainable
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 20 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 vigour 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 pigage 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 (2-4yo Laurent "Magic Cask") and ten old (6-10yo) oak Burgundian piece for lees ageing for 12 months, followed by four months in stainless steel on fine lees. Before racking and bottling, unfined and unfiltered. The only addition to the wine is a small dose of sulphur.

Pale ruby. Another elegant and ethereal vintage from this lovely vineyard. Full of raspberry and blackberry fruit, rose petal and subtle crushed herb, it is deceptively concentrated. Long with ribbons of fine, silky tannin and creamy pinot fruits, combined with the typical exotic spice always evident in the Doug's cuvee. Long, balanced and charming, while a joy to drink now cellaring is also recommended."