Gembrook Hill J.K.M Pinot Noir 2018

These two wines were tasted recently (early October 2020) side by side. Gembrook Hill has always been a producer we have loved and followed, by these really took things to another level. Two special wines of detail, elegance and finesse.

With this wine, Andrew dials up the use of wholebunch. But this is only relative – 30% in this case. For decades now, Gembrook’s site in the far upper Yarra has been deemed unsuitable for using much whole bunch fermentation. Here Andrew challenges this concept, and the result is remarkable. Perceptible fruit sweetness is lower in this wine, although I suspect that ripeness levels are much the same. It is the wholebunch that lends a slight savouriness to the fruit and hints of chew to the very fine tannins. The mid-palate is again explosive in its delivery of red fruit including dried raspberry, pomegranate and strawberry. But again it is extremely elegant and only medium-bodied (and the colour even paler than the IJM Pinot). It shows Pinot Noir in its purest form and finesse of the highest level. – Ches Cook, FWC.

Strawberries, juicy sweet and poached, plenty of exotic spice and green herb top notes. It’s light and sweetly red fruited, but autumnal too, and sappy and savoury, rhubarb and cinnamon, fine tannin, dry and dusty/spicy/herbal to close, with good length. Good wine here, and of typical Gembrook Hill style. Wine Front