Polperro 2021 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir’s – Mornington’s Finest
Great Pinot, like great Shiraz, Chardonnay or any other varietal is elusive. You would be forgiven in thinking otherwise, evidenced by the rather eye watering uppity scores awarded by wine critics to what has to be said can be very average, uninteresting and dull pinot noirs. As if by repetition and the awarding of nonsense numbers makes it so. There are exceptions however, where every year’s release, never fails to entice or thrill and Polperro’s 2021 single vineyard pinot noirs are one such set of wines.
2021 is a great year, and in the context of Polperro and its devotees, fortuitous. Many great vintages attract that little bit of extra effort from the winemaker, the need for something more. Longer extractions, punch downs and greater levels of new oak. The overriding ideal of, if the fruit can take it, then it should. But the experience of Sam and his team has conjured an approach in its essentials, employed every year.
The vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically. With the long cool ripening period of 2021, Polperro harvested their last grapes in April, yielding a crop of perfectly ripe grapes, low baumes and elevated acidity. Intense and concentrated flavours, ripe acids and long succulent savoury tannins. Handpicked, destemmed, long natural whole berry ferments, at low temperatures, with sulphur added, only after the first racking. Hand plunging ensures gentle extractions, with another 2-3 weeks on skins, post fermentation. Elevage is long, up to 18 months and the wine is bottled without fining or filtration.
Remarkably, the winemaking is the same every year, with subtle adaptations of extraction and elevage, according to the vintage. 2021 has yielded the finest releases to date, including the inaugural release of the Coverdale Vineyard. Bright red fruits, perfumed, tangy, succulent and savoury, with mouth-watering tannins and a harmony of elements that is as close to perfection as you could wish for. These are quite simply some of the finest pinot noirs in Australia, and yes they are from the Mornington Peninsula. But from our very first tasting, we have always imagined them as ‘just’ Polperro; singular wines, illustrating the lightness of touch and virtuosity of winemaker/owner Sam Coverdale and his deftness in teasing out the differences of his vineyards.
Polperro Landaviddy Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Expressive and floral, with violets, geranium, sweet Middle Eastern spice, red fruits and hints of dark. Lovely smooth flow, very even shape of great width and amplitude. Poached plum and red fruits mingle with spice and autumnal notes. Velvet and bright, the acidity apparent from the beginning, framing and shaping the flow. Such movement and gentle energy, the tannins, so fine, yet squeeze out the finish for minutes.
Polperro Little Laney Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Seductive, pure and complex aromatics with sweet red fruits of raspberry, cranberry, redcurrant and tangy rhubarb, rich buttery Serrano and violets. A wine shaped by its savoury elements of Middle Eastern dry spice, tangy acid and chiselled tannins. There’s a lovely tension between these elements and the sweet luxurious fruit, the sum of its parts, a beautiful complete composition. Thoroughly complete – the weaving and balance of flavour and textures is perfect. Utterly brilliant pinot noir and a benchmark in Australia.
Polperro Talland Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Very savoury to sweet, we come to the Talland Hill vineyard. The warmest of the Polperro single vineyards, but it has to be noted that it’s still a very cool site by any measure. Always the richest, curvaceous and dark fruited, the 2021 has yielded the finest release to date. Black fruits, violets, liquorice, cinnamon and fresh compost aromatics leave a seductive impression. Art deco in style and shape, the curves defined, the flavours sweet and the tannins richly etched. Loads of natural acidity, buoy and brighten, but the overall impression is of lying on a chaise longue in languid repose.
Polperro Mill Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
If there was a single vineyard wine in this release that defines Polperro then it would have to be Mill Hill. One of the coolest sites and late harvested, there is nonetheless an intensity and concentration of flavour, coupled with high toned aromatics, bracing structure and buoyant acidity. Tangy red fruits, hedge fruits, rhubarb, sweet and savoury spice and lavender aromatics. Concentrated and intense, the acidity more obvious here and the tannins the most angular of the release. But it’s not edgy. There is a burring to the angles and structure, a sort of finessed power if you like. Effete in a way, lovely and graceful, yet long in the mouth and full of presence. Signature wine.
Polperro Coverdale Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
The first release of the Coverdale vineyard, planted in 2010 on volcanic red clay in a natural amphitheatre. Cool and exposed of course ala Polperro, and like Talland Hill, a touch more rugged and dark fruited. Sweet spices, dark fruits, brambly fruits, cola and clove. Rich and succulent, the gummy tannins prominent, mouth-watering and mineral. This is the most mineral and primal of the wines, and at this stage, the most elemental. It’s a wonderful reminder of the potential for the rugged power of pinot, yet pretty and floral too. Freshness of course and long, gosh it’s long and at this stage, the most mysterious.
