Our old vines are over 35 years old and produce an exceptionally intense and aromatic wine that reflects the unique character of its terroir. With its deep, clear ruby red hue, it reveals notes of black fruits and excellent strength and concentration. As with all Gevrey-Chambertin, it requires a few years of patience before reaching its full potential. Based in Nuits-St-Georges, the famous Domaine Faiveley was founded in 1825 and in more recent times, the domaine has greatly expanded its vineyards across the entire Côte d'Or. The grapes are entirely destemmed and fermented in a mix of new wooden vats for the top end wines and stainless steel for the lesser cuvees. Once notorious for being fairly austere, there has been less emphasis on extraction over the last ten years and the wines show increased freshness, purity of fruit and more judicious use of oak. A contender for one of the most improved domaines in Burgundy over the last decade.

Giant Steps is a complex Pinot Noir with terrific varietal character. The nose shows rose petal, dark cherry and tomato leaf aromas and the palate is fleshy but tight, with savoury, dusty notes and silky tannins.

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.

This 20ha vineyard was planted on red clay loam soil at Woori Yallock in 2001 by Lou Primavera, with whom Giant Steps has a long-standing grape-supply relationship. Pinot Noir (114, MV6 and G8V3 clones) grown here on the north and north east facing slopes at 230m is noted for its complex structure and pronounced perfume. The 114 and MV6 are fermented as whole bunches in open vats, while the G8V3 is destemmed, given a long cold-soak and fermented separately to enhance its aromatic contribution. All ferments use indigenous yeasts and the whole-bunch components are periodically foot-stomped to release additional juice. The wines are pressed to 228 litre, French barriques (about 8% new) for 11 months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.

The Last Chance is a beautifully sited small terrace perched above the Earnscleugh Valley, carefully planted with well-tended Burgundian clone pinot noir. It is one of a small cluster of the worlds most southerly vineyards and takes its name from the watercourse that runs through its heart, hand-dug by gold miners in the 1860s The Last Chance. The soils are raw schist gravels. The Last Chance Pinot Noir is hand picked and sorted in the vineyard. One-third whole-bunch natural fermentation in a 3.5 tonne wooden vat. Five-day cold soak. Post fermentation transferred to medium and light toast French barriques for 11 months maturation. One-third new wood and the balance in second and third fill barrels. Light filtration prior to bottling. The Lasdt Chance Pinot Noir typically shows thyme, wild flower, red fruit and spiciness on the nose leading to a complex palate showing great coverage, elegance and length.

The First Paddock is Two Paddocks original vineyard. Planted in 1993, it is among Central Otagos oldest vineyards, superbly situated in upper Gibbston, meticulously tended and planted to carefully selected Burgundian Pinot Noir vines clones. This wine is typically sourced from the same 25 rows of Clone 5, planted in 1993. Hand harvested and sorted then a 50% whole bunch indigenous ferment in a dedicated First Paddock French oak vat. Matured in 30% new French oak with the balance in older wood for an extended 14 months of barrel maturation. The First Paddock Pinot Noir is typically dark, brooding and spicy, with dried herb aromatics and a textured palate showing brightness, finesse and elegance on a long finish.

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.