The concept behind our Equilibrio range is to promote the very best barrels, clonal mix and new oak integration to create a wine that will benchmark the potential of each vintage. Some would call it Reserve but we call it Equilibrio as great wine is all about harmony and balance.

This vintage, we treated small parcels of our MV6, D4V2 and 777 clones a little differently in the vineyard. We pruned for lower yields and also completed a green harvest to keep the fruit level below 2.5 tonnes per acre. At harvest, these blocks were handpicked and combined to be vinified as one parcel. The resultant wine is elegant and structured with intriguing complexity from all three clones.

[2017 Vintage] –  Silver Medal (91 Points) at 2019 International Wine and Spirit Competition

[2017 Vintage] –  Silver Medal at 2019 Decanter Asia Wine Awards

[2017 Vintage] –  Gold Medal (96 Points) by Australian Wine Showcase, Sept 2019

[2017 Vintage] – Platinum Medal (97 Points) at Decanter World Wine Awards

[2017 Vintage] – 97 Points by James Halliday, 2020 Halliday Wine Companion

[2017 Vintage] – In TOP 10 2017 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, 2018 The Real Review

[2017 Vintage] – 95 Points by Huon Hooke, The Real Review 2018

[2017 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2018 Perth Royal Wine Awards

[2017 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2018 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards

[2017 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at Winewise Small Vigneron Awards

[2016 Vintage] – 95 Points by James Halliday, 2019 Halliday Wine Companion

[2016 Vintage] – Silver Medal at 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards

[2015 Vintage] – 95 Points by James Halliday, 2018 Halliday Wine Companion

[2015 Vintage] – Bronze Medal at 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards (Asia)

[2014 Vintage] – Double Gold Medal at 2015 Melbourne International Wine Show

 

2019 VINTAGE Spring started dry and cold with rain coming late. The four weeks from late November to mid-December witnessed 175mm of rain. A godsend in hindsight, as we experienced the driest summer in our records with less than 50mm of rain from December through February. Combine this with a hotter than normal summer pattern which meant varieties ripened and were picked early. VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING The concept behind our Equilibrio range is to promote the very best barrels, clonal mix and new oak integration to create a wine that will benchmark the potential of each vintage. Some would call it Reserve but we call it Equilibrio as great wine is all about harmony and balance. This vintage, we treated small parcels of our MV6, D4V2 and 777 clones a little differently in the vineyard. We pruned for lower yields and also completed a green harvest to keep the fruit level below 2.5 tonnes per acre. At harvest, these blocks were handpicked and combined to be vinified as one parcel. The resultant wine is elegant and structured with intriguing complexity from all three clones. TASTING The wine displays an elegant structure of perfumed red fruits fused with forest mushroom and wild herbs. Lifted spice at the back of the palate leads to length and persistence on the finish. PAIRING Ideally matched with a duck ragu and porcini mushrooms or seared pork scotch on the bone with braised lentils and kale.

“A strictly limited amount of Equilibrio is made each year with the aim of capturing the best pinot noir of the vintage. Here MV6, with splashes of D4V12 and 777 all from the Hexham Vineyard are wild-fermented and matured in French oak (20% new) for 1 year. It is a beautiful wine, lusciously polished and vibrant in its flavour and mouthfeel, bringing red fruits wearing a wreath of foresty spices and superfine tannins.” (97 Points)
James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2020 [2017 Vintage]

“Kernelly, cherry-scented, ripe pinot noir fruit is at the heart of this rather special wine. The cherry and red berry aromas are seamlessly integrated with quality oak, and the rich, ripe palate flows seamlessly through a super-fine tannin backbone. Excellent pinot in the modern New World style. 93 Points.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review, May 2019 [2017 Vintage]

“Elegant, seamless, fine feeling wine of good intensity and integrity. Savoury-laced flavours, succulent red cherry, sour plum, green herb, faint malt flavours of oak rolling mid to late palate. Nicely done in a more overt way. Bold Pinot Noir, oak a gentle feature of course. Classic sort of feel, nothing left-of-field, just is nicely done.” (95 Points)
Mike Bennie, Wine Business Magazine [2017 Vintage]

“Medium to deep red colour with a good purple tint. The aromas show cherry and raspbery fruit and a goodly lick of attractive oak, while the flavour is intense and mouth-filling, with fine-grained tannins. The whole lot lingers well through the finish and aftertaste. An excellent pinot with gorgeous fleshy richness, fruit sweetness and detail. A top-level pinot.” (95 Points)
Huon Hooke, The Real Review, Sept 2018 [2017 Vintage]

“Equilibrio is a best barrel selection focusing on harmony and balance. This wine is wild-fermented and matured in French oak (35% new). The flavours are bright red, the mouthfeel slippery and delicious, the finish long and supported by fine tannins.” (95 Points)
Halliday Wine Companion 2019 [2016 Vintage]