Pooley Butcher's Hill Pinot Noir 2023

Perfumed notes of spiced cherry, cocoa and violets on the nose before developing into cranberries, pepperberry and currants on the palate. Underscored by impressions of truffle, spice and chocolate. Soft tannins make for a smooth finish, with firm acidity creating an everlasting length.

Fruit was handpicked. 25% Whole bunch was included in the ferment with the balance being destemmed. Fermentation was approximately 10 days on skins with a further 8 day post ferment maceration. The wine was matured for 10 months in French oak barriques of which 35% was new. Sirugue and Vicard barrels were used, medium toast and tight grain.

Pooley Wines was first established in 1985 when Denis and Margaret Pooley planted vines on the banks of the Coal River in southern Tasmania. With seven rows of Pinot Noir and ten rows of Riesling planted on their 16-hectare farm at Cooinda Vale as a retirement plan, Denis and Margaret found a renewed vigour for life. A vineyard that started as nothing more than a distraction for Denis and Margaret soon flourished into a renowned premium cool-climate site.

With the help of their son and grandchildren, three generations of the Pooley family have continued to bring meticulous care to their Cooinda Vale vineyard. In 1989, Cooinda Vale’s unique microclimate and terroir yielded its first vintage with the quality and consistency of fruit, speaking to Margaret and Denis’s love and dedication shown to their property. Denis continued working in the vineyard until his passing in 1994.

In 2003, John Pooley and his wife Libby bought Belmont, a heritage-listed Georgian home on the outskirts of Richmond. Pooley Wines expanded their estate and established a second vineyard, Butcher’s Hill, with its first vintage produced in 2007.

Until the passing of Margaret Pooley in 2010, three generations of the Pooley family were working in the vineyards with John’s son, Matthew Pooley, taking on the responsibility as Viticulturist. With Margaret’s granddaughter, Anna Pooley returning to the family business in 2013, Pooley was made entirely by family hands from this point onward.

Now, more than 35 years after Pooley Wines was first established, the family’s philosophy of making wines that reflect their unique environment while pushing the quality of the grapes and the wines even further has continued.

2023 Winery of the Year Halliday Wine Companion