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Vintage - 2017
| 7th August, 2016 | Pruning |
|---|---|
| 6th September, 2016 | |
| Budburst | |
| 26th October, 2016 | |
| Shoot thinning | |
| 21st November, 2016 | |
| Flowering | |
| 29th January, 2017 | |
| Verasion | |
| 5th March, 2017 | |
| Harvest at Nine One Six: all bunches hand picked | |
| 6th March, 2017 | |
| Winemaker Ben Haines decides to place south and west harvests by hand into small fermenters as whole bunches, and left to ferment naturally. The balance of the south block destemmed, and fermented as whole berries. | |
| 18th April, 2017 | |
| Wine to barrels: entire blend to large format puncheons. No new oak. Barrels from Vosges Forest and Allier Forest, forests in France. | |
| 16th November, 2018 | |
| From barrel to bottling under Nine One Six branded 10 DIAM cork from Portugal. | |
| 17th November, 2019 | |
| Bottle laid down in temperature controlled cellar at 15% degrees, moderate relative humidity, with very minimal light exposure, before release. | |
| 9th August, 2019 | |
| Nine One Six Pinot Noir Vintage 2017 release |
Winemaker Notes
Vintage 2017 promises to be one of the truly great pinot noir vintages for the Yarra
Valley. Nine One Six’s beautiful little corner of Steels Creek enjoyed conditions that were ideal for elegant, expressive pinot noir.
Winter and spring rainfall were above average, and spring and summer delivered cooler
than average temperature including those critical weeks of ripening leading up to
harvest. A wet winter and spring was desperately needed, however coming off of a very
dry period stretching back to 2011, the recharge didn’t hold and moisture depletion was
rapid, resulting in slightly smaller canopies than expected. The conditions also produced
very cool temperatures throughout spring and early summer, which staggered the
phenology and further contributed to smaller canopy development. This allowed good
bunch exposure for ideal phenolic development (colour and tannin). Ripening began
later than recent years, pushing the maturation phase in to autumn, and therefore
offering better harvest conditions. The cooler nights and temperate days were critical in
delivering well-defined flavour and stunning natural acidity
The longer, slower and steadier ripening period at Nine One Six delivered great aromatic range,
flavour development and phenolic complexity in the grapes: a tantalising set-up for a
winemaker. In many ways, 2017 was an ideal vintage for Nine One Six, with fruit in perfect
balance at optimal ripening. Harvest was on the 6th of March, later than all harvests since the commencement of Nine One Six in 2012, apart from 2013 which was a warm, dry year
that saw us leave the fruit on the vine longer than usual for stylistic reasons.
Both South and West harvests were placed by hand in to small fermenters just as they
were picked – as whole bunches – that were left to ferment naturally. A third harvest, the
balance of South block, was destined for de-stemming, and perfect whole berries filled a
tank for natural fermentation; a technique that provides freshness, fragrance and purity
together with a fineness of structure that is critical in pinot noir.
“Everything a pinot should be: fragrant, finely-tuned and elegant. Add to that florals, spiced cherries, orange peel and a hint of menthol before swaying onto its medium- bodied palate, buoyant with supple tannins and fresh acidity. To 2030.”
Halliday Wine Companion 95 Points