Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir 2022

Biodynamic. Angel Flower is the prettiest of many synonyms for yarrow, a grassland and pasture plant with delicate, fennel-like leaves and a brilliant mass of white flowers. Yarrow is the basis of the biodynamic preparation 502 and is strongly associated with mobilising natural sulphur and potassium in the soil. 

Planted in 2000 at 11,111 vines per hectare, the 0.7-hectare Angel Flower plot is the cooler, more exposed Pinot block on the Pyramid Valley property. It’s a stunning, steeply sloped, north-facing block located at the southern tip of the estate. The soils are shallow and coarse with less clay (15%) than Earth Smoke, which Huw Kinch says enhances the wine’s aromatic profile. By comparison, you can expect similar weight and shape to Earth Smoke, with heightened floral aromatics and a silky slip through the palate. 

The winemaking mirrors Earth Smoke, so the difference derives purely from site and soil. The fruit was picked and sorted by hand, then destemmed and fermented gently using infusion rather than extraction techniques. After 21 to 27 days on skins, the wine matured in French oak for 18 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s a dazzlingly good Pinot: generous, full and complex with lovely balance between savoury elements, pure fruit and mineral tension. Sheer class.