Our 2019 Single Vineyard Release is our ‘line in the sand’ release. The wines speak volumes about our journey to date and we cannot wait to share these with you. Our ‘line in the sand’ refers to a number of changes that we have made with regards to the Single Vineyard classification.
These changes include:
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All wines in this range are now laid down for a minimum of 15 months in bottle prior to release. For these wines that are often shy and compressed, time is a vital ingredient. Currently it seems younger wines are an obsession, but we have always loved watching the evolution of our Single Vineyard wines after they’ve settled. Wines that are expressive of place have a long journey ahead of them, and cannot be rushed. To be able to allow these wines time to mature ahead of release is incredibly exciting and a big step for us.
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The second ‘line in the sand’ moment relates to our commitment to farming, as we pull further away from conventional techniques and focus in on regenerative viticulture and total property health. While we will continue to work closely with growers of previous SV sites, it is important to us that we reassure our customers that all Single Vineyard wines from the 2019 vintage onwards will come exclusively from our own farming and vineyards. Please click here for more information about our farming practices and philosophies.
The next chapter for Mac Forbes Wines
Providing space for growth and embracing evolution is the cornerstone of our business. After a huge few years in the vineyard and cellar, 2019 seems like the perfect vintage for us to re-define our Single Vineyard classification.
The season tested our farming approach in both practice and resolve. Was dry farming detrimental in such a dry year? Were the vines displaying greater resilience? How strong was our own impulse to revert to irrigation? Did we notice stress in the plant, and how did that translate to the fruit?
The answers are complicated and easy to over-simplify. We definitely saw water stress in the vines, however we didn’t see much stress in the fruit. We observed that the vines coped remarkably well, and ultimately we fell in love with the detail and freshness of the final wines. Just as our farming varies from site to site and block to block, in the cellar we had to adapt just as much. The variability in structure, phenolic shape, weave and tone ensured all winemaking was equally specific to each parcel. Our winemaking and grape growing have many parallels, with detail and care vital ingredients. Whites were oxidatively handled before going to old oak for 10-11 months. Pinot was gently fermented on skins with varying amounts of whole bunch. In a year where over extraction became common place, these wines have structure, but also balance and purity. Old oak was the vessel of choice for maturation before the wines were gently bottled the following year.
The crucial thing about these Single Vineyard wines is that they are a step forward in to our future. These are wines that will challenge, evolve and tell a story that is unique. We are excited to one day look back at these as the wines that defined the next chapter for Mac Forbes Wines.
Regrettably for us all, volumes are minuscule, however if you can, cellaring these wines will be the biggest gift of all. These wines deserve a chance to grow, open and express – time is their best friend. We hope you appreciate them now, and grow to love the honest expressions of the Yarra they will each offer in the decades to come.