Quealy’s Tussie Mussie vineyard is a three-hectare, north-facing site in Merricks North planted to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The Pinot vines are in the lower and central part of the vineyard, and the clone is 777—or the ‘Morey clone’, to give its more romantic nickname. It’s a low-yielding cultivar, and Quealy prunes the vine to a single, arched cane, ensuring plenty of light and space around each cluster. These vines are dry-grown and managed organically, with certification due shortly. Tom McCarthy describes the 2023 season as a “rinse and repeat” of the previous year, with yields again affected by poor flowering but fruit quality exceptional. The intense, low-yielding conditions provided the perfect foil to glimpse this vineyard’s true potential.
The fruit was picked at the end of March and fermented in two batches: one whole bunch and the other destemmed. It was gently pressed after 25 days and matured in a combination of new (25%), one-, two- and three-year-old barrels. The wine was bottled after 10 months. Always the most open of the Quealy Pinot Noirs, Tussie Mussie 2023 is bright and perfumed with nice, complexing notes from the bunch and plenty of pure berry fruits, spice and woodsy earth. Savoury, fresh and punchy, it will look even better with a nice bowl of duck ragu.