Catherine Marshall Eleven Barrels Reserve Pinot Noir 2009

Broad, seductive compote of concentrated black cherries, mulberries and cranberries supported by mineral oak tannins. Powerful yet silky texture is seamlessly complex throughout.

The focus is on complexity, restraint and harmonious balance by the careful selection and blending of clone and soil diversity within the cool Elgin area. Emphasis is on maximising layered flavour spectrums balanced with seamless tannin extraction. This is achieved by a minimalist and natural approach with attention to the integrity of the variety.

In the Vineyards:

Grapes were selected from two cool sites in the Elgin Valley. Soils are variable and include, heavy red clays, Table Mountain Sandstone, Bokkeveld shale, Tukulu and Silica Quartz with Caoline clay underlying. French Dijon clones include 667, 115, and 113 and were planted in 2001, 2003 and 2005. The combination of these four clones grown on varying soil structures provides flavour with broad spectrum, complexity and tannin texture.Vines are planted on south and south east facing slopes to enhance more even budburst and ripening are vertically shoot positioned on a five wire fence system planted 2.2m x 1.2m apart.

Production at harvest averages at 4-6 tons per hectare and handpicked and sorted in the vineyards during mid to end February in small 17kg batches.

In the Cellar:

Bunches are destemmed without crushing and berries are hand sorted at the crusher. The whole berry fraction amounts to about 80% and is soaked overnight in 500kg batches before yeast activity begins where colour and some tannin extraction occurs. Fermentation is in open top bins where spontaneous fermentation or inoculated cultures is induced, depending on site - soil and style elements. Juice and skin is punched down with a paddle, known as “pigagé” and turned daily to control even heat distribution between the skin cap on top and must juice below. Tannin and flavour extractions from the skins are carefully monitored at this stage. This process is controlled by hand with no pump or mechanical intervention which is slow and labour intensive to maximise control and focus on each 500kg batch.

Once fermentation has completed, the bins are tasted and selected on tannin and flavour attributes and manually pressed in an 800kg capacity stainless steel basket press. The bin combinations selected are kept as separate fractions to create as many blending profiles as possible for the final assemblage.

The secondary Malo-lactic fermentation is completed in 225 Li oak casks where, once all the malic acid has converted to lactic acid, is racked off the solid lees (dead yeast cells and solids) is further matured for 9 to 12 months in a combination of new, second, third and fourth filled Burgundy coopered casks.

The approach to chemical additions and mechanical intervention is kept to the absolute minimum so that the natural integrity of the variety is respected and expressed.

Once maturation was completed, each barrel was assessed for premium status and the resultant blend of the chosen 11 barrels were assembled in a stainless steel tank and then lightly filtered to bottle.