By Farr Close-Planted release
Vintage 2022
The 2022 vintage was dictated by the third consecutive wet Winter into Spring. With high hopes of an average or greater fruit load due to slightly warmer soils leading up to bud burst, then flowering we hoped to take advantage of the ample moisture in the soil.
The storms and humidity don’t ease until late January but the team was able to keep the canopies open and the fruit healthy until the disease pressure eased. The season turned come February and the berries developed significant colour and depth of flavour by March.
We started picking a little Pinot and Chardonnay’s mid to late March and took full advantage of the long and mild season that has resulted in layered and great site expressions regardless of variety.
All in all the crop level was of the norm, average tonnages and the fruit extremely healthy. Credit to the team once again as the ferments where very expressive and show the potential to have come to expect of a season with a drying and cool evenings end.
The whites have tension while lush in fruit characteristics. While the reds are building in complexity with every month they are left in barrel.
Vintage 2023 – by Farr
After three solid years of rain the team had hoped for some different growing conditions. Unfortunately not, a cool and wet Spring in 2022 meant that there was server disease pressure and constant canopy management required up until Christmas. Because of the two previous growing seasons the team was well aware of what was required and did an amazing job once again.
Crop levels certainly seemed below average because of the cool and windy conditions, particularly in the chardonnay sites.
With frequent rain events throughout January and early February the ripen period was making little progress until we finally saw extended days into weeks of dryer and warmer weather. The welcome relief started to show us signs of delicate, super fine flavours, driven by high acidities.
Our first day of picking was set for the 16th March, we decided to hedge our bets and pick a little Chardonnay from the Cooper block and a couple of ton of Pinot from the Windmill block. With acidity still quite high and looking for balance of flavours we decided to not pick again until the 20th March. We harvested our last fruit in Bannockburn on the 6th April, and Irrewarra fruit on the 14th April.
All in all we are excited about the fruit that we grew and the wines they are becoming yet it is the smallest vintage since 2002.
2023 GC Chardonnay
'Trying this at room temp, partly because I forgot to chill it, partly because I find it interesting. When I opened it, I’m wholly thrilled. There’s a moment of real excitement, which I can imagine seems nerdy, like a trainspotter spying a big dirty freight train rumbling toward them. It probably shouldn’t be this exciting, but it is. The wine that is, not the train so much. Depending on the background, the colour seems generous. Even with a white stone bench top behind it, it has a lovely golden shimmer. It smells perfect. At least to me it does. Wet stones, struck match, ginger, lime, stone fruit and white florals. The palate at this temperature is a riot. Intense and powerful, it’s electric and relentless, the fruit expression more than a match for it. This is the very definition of how tension makes wine so exciting. It’s balanced, and at full stretch, it delivers a perfect result. Could you soften it with a decant? sure, but then you’d miss the thrill. It’s hard to describe exactly why it’s so exciting, if you write it down, as I’ve done, it’s just words on a screen. If you get a chance to have some of these words in your glass, I’d suggest you don’t pass it up.' - Ben Knight
2022 RP Pinot Noir
'Sleek, polished and precise. The ‘22 RP is a beautiful garnet colour in the glass. The nose is small red fruits; cranberry, raspberry, red cherry, wedded to loads of spice. Savoury notes of cornichon, a pretty note of red petals all tie in this wonderfully complex wine. Notes of Cola which sounds weird, but I guess it’s more like chinotto. Dried citrus peel, brown sugar and dark spices. It’s lifted, pretty and direct. It has a wonderful core of softness, scaffolded with a peppery spice, a warm note of beautifully subtle yet, perfumed oak, and terrific acidity.' - Ben Knight
2022 Tout Pres Pinot Noir
'These two Pinots share a symmetry. There’s recognisable DNA from the house of Farr that’s undeniable, something that’s becoming more exclusive in modern wine making. The concept of tasting a wine and being able to tell who made it, is more and more uncommon. Thankfully, that’s never been an issue from the Farrs. The difference between the two Pinots comes primarily from the site within the property, trellising and handling. Tout Pres, from its miniature and densely packed vines delivers a wine of greater density of palate too. That fuller texture gives the wine more richness, palate weight and more noticeable softness. The Tout Prés has more sweet perfume, aromatic wood and more toasty, chocolate and mocha warmth, yet follows the path of brilliant freshness and expressive tension.' - Ben Knight
(Nick Farr - Farr Rising / www.byfarr.com.au)