2023 Gentle Folk Little Creek Pinot Noir

A wonderfully fragrant and earthy expression of Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir from Gareth & Rainbo Belton.
5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
1 Review

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Description

The 2023 Little Creek Pinot Noir is a true survivor’s wine. Grown on a vineyard that’s notoriously tricky to manage in wet conditions, the 2023 vintage was hit hard by mildew due to the cold, damp weather. But despite the challenges, what came out of the Little Creek site is nothing short of remarkable. Only two barrels were produced, making this wine as rare as it is exceptional.

The Little Creek vineyard sits at 505 metres in Norton Summit, with vines that are now over 30 years old. The northeast and southwest-facing slopes, combined with soils rich in quartz and siltstone, give this Pinot a more delicate, perfumed edge compared to its bolder siblings. Aromatically, it’s ethereal—light, floral, and almost pixie-like—yet beneath that elegance is a subtle earthiness and savoury finish that keeps things grounded.

Fermented with 100% destemmed fruit and aged for 10 months in neutral French oak, the winemaking here is all about letting the vineyard shine. At 12.2% ABV, it’s lighter in body but rich in character, with just 921 bottles produced, making it an exclusive snapshot of the site and the season.

For lovers of refined, perfumed Pinot Noir, the 2023 Little Creek offers an enchanting, limited-time taste of a very special vineyard and a challenging year.

94 Points
"Spicy, slurpy, soft and hazy textured number at just shy of medium weight. Dark cherries, a touch of cola, cranberry, dried Italian herbs, a squish of pomegranate juice too. Red berried but with some smoky spice, earthiness and brambly characters. A sweetness builds here, it’s nicely countered by tart, blood orange acidity with a very distinct peppery overlay, a kind of clash, but in the best sense. Almost a brittle tannin profile, lively in its way. It’s good. It’s expressive and character-filled."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Little Creek may not be the steepest of our sites, but the design of the site makes it almost impossible to drive on in the wet. Sadly the 2023 vintage, which was extremely wet and cold, meant that disease pressure was high in the region, and sadly Little Creek bore the most damage from mildew. Only two barrels of wine were made but what barrels they were! Its powerful, its aromatic, and its an absolute pleasure to
drink and toast to a challenging year from a special site.

Vineyard: Little Creek, Norton Summit

Planted: 1987 - 1990

Clones: MV6, D5V12, 777, Martini

Elevation: 505m

Aspect: NE and SW

Soil: Quartz rubble over siltstone, sandstone and clay.

Vinification: 100% destemmed open top fermentation for two weeks before basket pressing to two neutral French oak barrels for 10 months, then racked to tank for three and bottled.

Harvest date: 23 March 2023

Bottled: 15 May 2024

Alc: 12.2%

pH: 3.65

TA: 5.9 g/L

Production: 921 bottles

94 Points - "Spicy, slurpy, soft and hazy textured number at just shy of medium weight. Dark cherries, a touch of cola, cranberry, dried Italian herbs, a squish of pomegranate juice too. Red berried but with some smoky spice, earthiness and brambly characters. A sweetness builds here, it’s nicely countered by tart, blood orange acidity with a very distinct peppery overlay, a kind of clash, but in the best sense. Almost a brittle tannin profile, lively in its way. It’s good. It’s expressive and character-filled." - Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)

Customer Reviews

5.0
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Based on 1 review
Total 5 star reviews: 1 Total 4 star reviews: 0 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
1 review
  • GN
    gerry n.
    Verified Buyer
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2 years ago
    Wine Knowledge Level Enthusiast
    2021 Gentle Folk Little Creek Pinot Noir
    Reviewing
    2021 Gentle Folk Little Creek Pinot Noir
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    superb

    super great pinot ..

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Gentle Folk

Gareth and Rainbo Belton are the Gentle Folks, both in name and in sensibility. They are gentle, soulful people, both originally seaweed experts, who turned their hands to farming grapes with an organic and sustainable approach. Today they are crafting some of the most legitimately exciting and exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Adelaide Hills and are firmly rooted in the upper echelon of Australia's lo-fi wine scene.

Their wines cover multiple sub-regions across the Adelaide Hills. There are no additions during the winemaking process, save for a splash of SO2 at bottling to keep the wines pristine as they travel from the Beltons' home to yours. The worlds of fine wine and natural wine collide in the Gentle Folk range. They are beautiful people making increasingly breathtaking wines that you definitely want to check out.

Gareth Belton in one of his vineyards - Basket Range, Adelaide Hills, SA Gentle Folk

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