This year marks Kaspar Hermann’s fifth vintage as Toolangi’s chief winemaker, and under Hermann’s site-first approach—allowing the place and vintage to dictate the result rather than forcing a particular style—the true character and quality of Toolangi’s vineyard are starting to reveal itself.
At Toolangi, 2022 will be remembered for two things: the tiniest yields in a decade (resulting from poor flowering) and the outstanding style of its wines. You don’t however have to wait for the single-block wines to appreciate the benevolent mark of the vintage. Drawn from 20+-year-old vines, the estate Pinot Noir was handpicked on March 11th, mostly destemmed, and then given a cold soak before fermentation begins. After 21 days on skins, pressed to French barriques and puncheons (less than 10% new) for malolactic, then left on lees in oak for ten months.