Tapanappa Definitus Foggy Hill Pinot Noir 2018
Tapanappa Definitus Foggy Hill Pinot Noir 2018
96 points - Ned Goodwin. The Definitus is a special bottling from The Foggy Hill Vineyard. Foggy Hill is typical of the spectacular, steep, cool climate sites that have helped revolutionise Australian fine wine in recent years. Laying at 350m above sea level on the ancient soils of the Fleurieu Peninsula and cooled by the waters of Victor Harbor and Cape Jervis, it is the perfect spot for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Grapes are hand-harvested with each clone being brought in separately. Chilling and a cold, pre-fermentation soak helps to protect the aromas and fix the colour, before the 14-day fermentation commences. When ready, the wines are placed into 225-litre French oak barrels – a third of which are new – for 9-10 months. It is only after cask ageing that the blending commences. It is this exacting attention to detail that has led the likes of the Halliday Wine Companion to comment, ‘An excellent wine on our hands here’. If you think you know Australian Pinot Noir, it’s time to drink again.
Members Price
Vivino Rating: 4.4 (Sept 2024)
Wine Press Ratings
96 points - Ned Goodwin (2018)
"An elite microcosm of the Foggy Hill site. The best strip, so to speak. I prefer this to the ’17. More integrated, compact, layered and detailed. The tension, curtailing the ripe and inherently sweet fruit. The oak, tannic extract and judicious whole bunch amalgamating as a finely tuned structural skein, corralling the billowing sweet berry fruit, root spice and undergrowth scents. The finish long and generous, yet nothing overt. This is mid-weighted and far from shy, but there is plenty in store embedded in the structural timbre."
91 points - Robert Parker Wine Advocate (2018)
"The 2018 Foggy Hill Vineyard “Definitus” Pinot Noir is a blend of Clones 115 and 777 from a strip of vines over the site’s shallowest soils. Winemaking is similar to the rest of the vineyard’s production, and maturation takes place in 30% new French oak, with the balance of the wood being one and two years old. Compared to the regular bottling, it ratchets up the intensity, but it does so at the expense of some of the more delicate floral nuances. Herbal notes impart welcome complexity to the cherry-scented fruit, buttressed by fine, cedary oak. Medium-bodied, it’s slightly bigger and more generous than the regular bottling, with almost velvety tannins on the finish. I suspect it will age well for at least a decade."
Taste
The 2018 Definitus Pinot Noir impresses from the off. Mid-cherry red with a hint of tawny at the rim, the bouquet offers an intriguing mix of red cherries, alpine strawberries, cream, mushrooms and Chinese 5 spice. The medium-bodied palate is seamlessly smooth, with a wide array of black and red berry fruits – most notably strawberries and cherries – with touches of blackberries and raspberries adding intensity. Secondary tones of earthy spices, liquorice, and mushrooms add further interest, as does the long finish which brings together these diverse elements into a classic Pinot peacock’s tail. Wonderful now with fine red meats, game, poultry or mature cheeses, it will continue to develop for some years to come.
About the Producer
Tapanappa is the latest wine venture by the legendary Petaluma founder, Brian Croser. Founded in 2002 with the support of Champagne Bollinger and the Cazes family of Chateau Lynch Bages fame, Tapanappa produces an extensive range of superb wines in several sites, all of which offer the cool climate conditions that have taken Australian wine to new heights in recent years. Their range includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling alongside Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Shiraz, which bear Croser’s trademark elegance and precision with Australia’s signature generosity. If you’re looking for Old World refinement with New World exuberance, then Tapanappa’s wines are for you.
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