Elanto Vineyard has been named the 2026 Companion's Best New Winery.
Producer Notes - "This wine is a blend of the 5 Pinot Noir vineyards (lieux-dits); Vertex, Ironstone, Chicory, Kilnside and Basalt.
Each vineyard was picked and vinified separately. The fruit was first chilled and then sorted and destemmed, with a smattering of perfectly ripe whole bunches making it into the ferment, which is took place in concrete tanks. A cold soak preceded natural fermentation, which was completed in vat, before pressing, after extended time on skins.
The high-density plantings have blessed the grapes with an abundance of skin tannin which allowed for more restraint in the winery, with less time on skins required than in 2023. A consequence of this reduced extraction is an aromatic cavalcade of perfumed red fruits, and a supremely balanced wine that is framed by fine-boned, chalky tannin.
Following fermentation, the wines were raised in a mix of new and older French oak barriques. Malolactic conversion completed late spring and the wine spent a total of 11 months in barrel before bottling. Diam 30 closure.
This gorgeous 2024 Pinot is another step towards Elanto's greater goal - an Australian evocation of the structured, savoury expressions of classic Pinot Noir."