SEASON:

2023 was a small, high-quality vintage in the Yarra Valley. The season was defined by a cool Spring, a mild growing season, cool nights, and medium to high rainfall.
2023 was one of the coolest and latest harvests on record, with our first pick starting two and a half weeks later than the previous average. The grapes in 2023 had lovely fruit concentration with bright natural acidities.


VINIFICATION:

Handpicked, fermented in a combination of small oak fermenters and
stainless-steel open vats.
The MV6 parcels were fermented as whole bunches, while the remaining clones were destemmed to whole berries and cold soaked for four days before fermentation started.
The resulting blend is 21% whole bunch fermented. All parcels were matured in French oak – 25% new, 75% seasoned – for 10 months in 225L barriques predominately Taransaud and Dargaud & Jaeglé.
The wine was not moved and kept in contact with its lees before blending
in December. Bottled by gravity. No fining. No filtration.


THE VINEYARD:

Location: Gruyere

Planted: 1997

Elevation: 130 - 210 metres

Soil Type: Grey clay loam over granite / ironstone.

Aspect: North facing slopes

Size: 30 Hectares

Located on the steep slopes of the Warramate Ranges, the Sexton
Vineyard is in one of the most revered pockets of the Valley. Being well
up the Range’s north-facing slopes, topsoil is thin and root systems have established themselves in shallow gravelly loams above a tough, rocky clay base. Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with high skin to juice ratio.

The clonal selection of Pinot Noir off this site includes the G5V15 clone, which responds well to the warmer conditions and sunlight exposure to produce juicy and plush wines. The Pinot Noir produced from Sexton have a lovely texture, with dark cherries and plums, sweet spice notes and
youthful tannins.

97 points - "From the Sexton vineyard in Gruyere; 10% whole bunches and matured nine months in French barriques (25% new). A deep ruby. Aromas of kirsch, damson plums, licorice root and spices; this heady, concentrated wine has a lot of meat on the bones, with ripe, persistent tannins boding well for the future. A great contrast to the more delicate Giant Steps wines such as Bastard Hill and Primavera." - Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion)

96 points - "The final blend of this wine is around 21% whole bunch fermented. A quiet wine in the glass that needs a bit of time before it reveals itself, be patient as this wine unfurls and gains momentum. It is deeply pigmented in garnet hues and shows black raspberries, cherries and rose petals. Woodsy herbs like rosemary stem, thyme, clove and sesame. Front to middle palate tannins are grainy and astute. There are granite-like immoveable foundations to this wine that will allow it to live a long time. So too is there significant turbidity and viscosity to this wine. Drink now or cellar for 8 years. A perfect wine for blackened skinned cod." - Shanteh Wale (Wine Pilot)

94+ points - "The Sexton vineyard was planted in 1997. It’s a north-facing, exposed site.

It might be north-facing and exposed but there’s a coolness to this release. It tastes of forest berries and boysenberries with toast and sprays of alpine herbs. It’s not overtly minty but it has that cooling feel. There’s a sweetness to the spice and a general impression of completeness, the latter aided by a full suite of ripe, grainy, meaty tannin. The finish of this wine has a fan to it; forever quality’s best marker." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)

94 points - "A longer ripening period during the 2023 vintage has amplified aromas, with shades of violet at the edge of ripe blood plum and dark cherry. The ripeness is also reflected in bright, luscious blood plum and dark cherry flavours in the front palate; while the combination of MV6, G5V15 and Abel clones provides a keen savoury note, with earthy bite and graphite notes. Chewy tannins give a moreish finish to a wine that already appears resolved and complete." - David Sly (Decanter)