Yes, another new winery!! This time from the Yarra Valley.
Dappled Wines Shaun Crinion was first introduced to wine in 1999 after being fortunate to work for his winemaker Uncle on the central coast of California – making Pinot, Chard & Syrah. Since then he was done vintages at Bay of Fires & Pipers Brook in Tasmania, Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley, Williams Selyem in Russian River, California and Domaine De Montille in Burgundy just to name a few.
Dappled is boutique and small production – currently he makes approx 100 cases each of Pinot Noir Syrah and Chardonnay, all single vineyard. The 2010 wines are from 23+ year old vines in the Yarra Valley and whilst all are drinking well now, benefit from a decant (including the chard). They should cellar well.
The Dappled portfolio will continue to grow, particularly through expansion into Pinot and Chard from other regions – the 2011 release includes a Mornington Pinot . The wines will remain small batch, food friendly and well-priced. It’s all about good booze at a reasonable price; it should be easy to enjoy quality, interesting, wine with friends and family any day of the week!
2010 Chardonnay is hand picked, whole bunch pressed with wild yeasts and full solids ferment. 1 year old french oak and 10 months on full yeast lees.
Made in an austere style that focuses on minerality and phenolic structure. The aroma profile highlights some of the more complex and alternate characteristics associated with wild yeast, full solids ferments. Oak is a subtle inclusion, and carefully not overdone.
2010 Pinot Noir Fermented in small open top fermenters with 80% whole bunch and 20% crushed fruit. The must / fruit was chilled to 12 degrees to enable a 5 day cold soak to occur. This was followed by a long steady wild yeast ferment (peak temperature reaching 30 degrees) The finished wine was pressed straight to small 1 year old and older French barriques and kept on lees until bottling
Utilising techniques including whole bunch ferment and long vatting times will make this Pinot a wine to last. Despite this, the wine shows remarkable primary prettiness of a young Yarra Pinot. Sweet cranberry/musk notes are complemented by underlying stalky funkiness and hints of sweet oak. The palate is lasting with round soft red fruits building on sappy textured tannins.
2010 Syrah Cane pruned and cropped to max 2.0 t/acre. Hand picked 100% whole bunch ferment with Wild yeast & natural MLF. 30% new French oak and older French oak, aged for 10 months on full yeast lees and completely bottled unfined and unfiltered.
A 100% whole bunch Yarra Syrah, it opens with huge peppery, stalky wild characters and with air releases sweet red/dark berry fruits. The palate reflects cool climate elegance in Shiraz; soft and plush and well suited to food. It finishes with nice angular tannins.