By Farr
Barbarian Pinot Noir
By Farr Barbarian Pinot Noir
Pamela Brinsmead, Nick’s great Aunt, was not only an adventurer with a sense of humour, but she was also rebellious, strong-willed, and lived her life to every extreme of its fullest. She was wild and passionate about life, and those that were lucky enough to experience it with her. In 1975, at the age of 51, ‘Aunty’ Pam was a member on the first all-women’s crew to sail in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, aboard ‘Barbarian’. She went on to compete in nine Sydney to Hobart races, narrowly missing her tenth race due to injury.
On Pamela’s passing in 2014, she gifted each of her grandchildren a small legacy, of which Nick promptly decided he would like to plant another small parcel of vineyard, neighbouring the unique soil type and ridge of both Sangreal and By Farr Chardonnay. With this site’s pedigree, we have always expected special things from this vineyard. A larger-than-life wine, that Pam would be proud of. The vineyard has always aptly been named ‘Pam’s Pinot’. This year marks 10 years for this vineyard, and it is only now that Nick feels he understands the fruit he is working with, and that the wines are ready to honour what he started. The site of the Barbarian Pinot, is a rockier outcrop of the soil type found in its neighbouring Sangreal. It is oriented oppositely to Sangreal, with East-West Rows. The block is also terraced and close planted.
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Vinification
The fruit is hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard, then fermented in an open-top fermenter. 50 percent of the fruit will be stemmed and then cold soaked for four days. We use only the natural yeast for the fermentation process, which takes roughly 19 days. Grape-stomping (known as pigeage) will occur two to three times a day depending on the amount of extraction required, and the wine is then placed in 50 percent new Allier barrels by gravity. It is racked by gas after secondary fermentation, then again at 18 months to be bottled.
Tasting Notes
The nose is classic Farr Pinot Noir. It’s rich and complex, something not all wines offer so quickly to the drinker, if at all. Savoury, herbal elements, meet aromatic spices and dark ripe and forward fruit expression too. The palate mirrors the layered notes of spice and fruits but has the added benefit of mouth feel. It is luxurious, long and soft. There is a citrus note in this wine, dried orange peel, more than simple lemons and something floral too. My first reaction is dried rose, my second guess is less precise, but the feeling of sweet perfume is certain, whichever it is. There is a lightness to this wine, among all the generosity and a note of vanilla and chocolate too. It’s incredibly familiar, and at the same time a little adjacent to what I am used to.