As often happens with Calvert, the nose when young is slightly muted and more direct than exotic; pure and fine aromas, not bold and lush. The palate follows on accordingly, with clarity of fruit, roses and florals. Focussed, concentrated yet pure in the mid-palate, with its hallmark mineral texture, its firm but ultimately juicy on the finish. The vines are growing up and were seeing the puppy-fat turn to muscle.

The Fusilier Vineyard is named in honour of proprietor Sam Neills father, Major Dermot Neill, a soldier in the Royal Irish Fusilier Regiment for 20 years before returning home to Dunedin, New Zealand, where he ran the family Wine & Spirit business, Neill & Co. Planted entirely in 2000, The Fusilier is 5.6 hectares of Pinot Noir on rolling northerly facing terraces at the western end of Felton Road and bordered by the vineyard of the same name. Soils consist of deep alluvial fans made up of varying depths of silt, sand and gravel layering, all derived from mountainous raw schist parent material. Grapes for The Fusilier are hand picked and sorted in the vineyard, naturally fermented with one-third whole-bunches in a 3.5 tonne wooden vat, followed by a five-day cold soak. The wine is then transferred to medium and light toast French barriques (one-third new) for 11 months maturation. Light filtration prior to bottling. Fusilier Pinots typically show spicy red fruit, dried herb and wildflower aromatics leading to a feminine, lithe and textural driven wine.

Unmistakably cool climate pinot. Intense yet elegant with velvety tannins and balanced acidity pulling the flavours right through the palate. Ripe fruit, spiciness, savoury aromas satisfying palate weight, minerality, velvet tannins. Extraordinary persistence. Elegance

WILLIAM DOWNIE Bull Swamp Pinot Noir, Baw Baw Shire

In 1991, the Slapjack Block made history as the first vineyard planted in Bannockburn. Featuring 13 clones, the site sits at 250 metres above sea level on soils of dense glacial schist with a thin clay topping. The mature vines are certified organic with the low yields of fruit ushered into a singular expression of pinot noir made with minimal intervention. Slapjack is the pinnacle of Terra Sancta’s pinot noir program. As a single vineyard wine, from some of the most unique terroir in the world, it transmutes outstanding character and complexity with power and poise. Full-bodied, svelte, and intriguing, Slapjack is made to cellar gracefully but will drink beautifully at any age. Terra Sancta’s philosophy is to question everything. They master tried and true methodologies while challenging convention, and always striving for better. While pinot noir is the heart of their portfolio, Terra Sancta also produces fine regional examples of chardonnay, pinot gris, and riesling.