There’s no hiding the fact that this beautifully rich Pinot contains a good amount of fruit from Bill Pannell’s coveted “Burgundy” vineyard. This is a superb, mouth-filling red wine with profound varietal characters. The wine is truly made as much through traditional, studied, hands-on viticulture as it is by techniques in the winery. Bill’s vineyard is planted with traditional Burgundian row spacings and trellis heights. It’s a real back breaker and much more work per acre than the other Picardy vines, but Bill would have it no other way. The proof is in the bottle. This vintage has an incredibly complex aroma, as should all fine Pinot. Beneath intense berry fruit characters are bready, biscuity, briar, leather, honey, sweet oak and truffle nuances. Palate weight and concentration are exceptional, with sweet fruit balanced by a hint of cherry pip. Structure is maintained by balanced acidity and lots of ripe, silky tannins. The great complexity and concentration can be attributed to very low yields and a long, cool vintage.
Bill says that it is definitely the best Pinot released by Picardy so far and one of the best wines he has ever been involved in making.

Fans of our big, ripe 2001 Merlimont may find they recognize some of the same power and fruit characters in this wine. In fact the two are quite similar in style. As in past years, this wine is a salute to the classic Bordeaux blend of complementary percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. However unlike some wines that hail from the renowned French wine region, the rich fruit characters in the Picardy are invariably more balanced while pronounced. Such is the primary difference in Australian and French styles. Here you will find wild berry, ripe cherry, chocolate, musk and even some violet on the nose, while the palate is heady with soft sweet blackberry, plum and cassis characters. The mouth-feel is opulent and unctuous, laced with gentle tannins, while the finish is long, heavy with lingering fruit and decidedly savoury. This delightful red blend is unmistakably the product of Pemberton and arguably the best defining example of the Bordeaux trio of grapes in the area. Fabulous with lamb or venison!

This is the second Picardy Sauvignon Blanc from the estate.  Pemberton shows all the signs of emerging as a great Australian Sauvignon Blanc region and Picardy will help the cause greatly with this vibrant white. It was made from three Sauvignon Blanc clones, each contributing to structure and complexity. It also contains eighteen percent Semillon for texture, mouthfeel and palate length. The fruit was sourced entirely from the estate, dry grown, cane pruned and handpicked. It offers lively tropical fruit, lime and varietal perfumes. The palate is fresh, balanced and full of tropical fruit characters, lemon, lychee and hints of passionfruit. There is also a tight, flinty mineral character, distinctive grassy notes, and a robust acidity making this a great food wine. The finish is dry, crisp and highly satisfying. Perfect with fresh oysters or pan-fried whiting or even by itself on a warm summer’s day.

This is the first Picardy Sauvignon Blanc from the estate.  It is made from three clones of Sauvignon Blanc, each contributing to structure and complexity. It also contains 7% Semillon for texture, mouthfeel and palate length. Bill and Dan found that each of these clones have differing fruit characters, complimented by the Semillon. As with all Picardy wines the fruit for this wine was sourced entirely from the Picardy estate, dry grown, cane pruned and handpicked. Two strains of yeast were used in separate fermentations, enhancing texture and flavour as well as adding to overall complexity. The grapes for this wine were intentionally picked at lower baumes to make a wine with lower alcohol, while retaining fresh delicate flavours reminiscent of the newer styles from Sancerre, thus making a wine of very similar style to the trial batch wines but with better fruit and complexity.

This is arguably the best Shiraz produced at Picardy. The result of another cracking vintage it has the uniquely robust yet elegant signature of top Pemberton Shiraz. The colour is a deep red-purple and immediately proclaims the wine is full of ripe fruit, depth and character. On the nose it is rich with spicy dark berry, hints of white pepper, raisin and subtle floral notes from the small portion of viognier. The palate offers fleshy, gently persistent berry and plum fruit flavours with edges of subtle spice. Again the presence of viognier imparts a smooth and luscious mouth-feel and the tannins are long and sweet on a velvety finish. The wine is eminently approachable now, but will be a masterpiece in five years time. It would be a simply wonderful accompaniment with roast beef or a rich winter lamb casserole. Decant this wine a couple of hours before drinking. A milestone in Picardy Shiraz.