November 2021 Releases: Hochkirch Maximus Pinot Noir 2017 $50 & Hochkirch Village Pinot Noir 2019 $45

Hochkirch Maximus Pinot Noir 2017 $50

Notes from winemqaker John Nagorcka: Big year again harvest 20-24/3, 30% whole bunch, the rest destemmed not crushed to small open vats, with no additions. Wild ferment, daily plunge Pressed 4/4 to tank, settled then to small French wood, 15% new. Left till racked 7/18 (no additions) then assembled 6/11/18 + 50 ppm SO2. Bottled 30/11/18
Drinks note: This is the best wine that John can produce each year, some years it is not made.
These are the oldest vines and the best barrels. This wine always has a velvety, thick and deep mouthfeel but with outstanding retention of acidity and freshness and a distinctive earthy, sappy complexity which is the terroir. Pure, long and complex this will age well, the wine's terrific stony lift on the finish gives it nice definition. Excellent.
Notes from Jonathon McDonald: The Drinks note is pretty spot-on. It’s really deep, foresty and almost full-bodied, I’d call it almost more resinous than sappy, more black fruit than red. A lovely old-school Australian Pinot, with no sherbet or candied strawberry in sight, quite a rare breed these days. It’s exceptional value.

Tech: Biodynamic (Demeter certified) Basalt loam over gravel then clay at depth. Close planted at 5,000-6000 vines/ha on a north facing slope. Fermented in open small vats with manual plunging then raised in old and new French Barriques. Left to mature in old oak for 18 to 19 months before release

Hochkirch Village Pinot Noir 2019 $45

2019 gave Henty a warm dry January, then a cool-ish February. Picking took place over five days in early March. 30% whole bunches were retained, and the rest of the harvest was destemmed. Wild ferment was in small open vats, and the juice had about three to four days rest before some gentle foot-stomping and a daily plunge. Everything was pressed after 14 days into tank, and was then gravity-fed to small, mainly old French oak. Malo was allowed to progress, and the wine was racked and assembled after 15 months. The only addition was 50ppm SO2 at bottling.
Note from John Nagorcka (Hochkirch)
2019 Village hand harvested 5-9/3. 30% whole bunch rest destemmed not crushed into open vats. Cold maceration, then indigenous yeast ferment with daily pigeage. Pressed 19-23/3 into tank then gravity feed into small French oak 15% new. Natural malo late spring/summer then racked 7/20 and assembled 9/20. Racked to bottle 11/20 with only add 50ppm SO2.