March 2009 will see the release of the TarraWarra Estate Pinot Noir 2008. The coolness of the majority of the season has lended an elegance to the wines particularly the Pinot Noir, where the sugar levels ranged from 12.8 – 13.5 Baume, and yields averaged 6.5 tonnes per hectare.

The final wine is from a combination of sites across the Estate and is a blend of Dijon clones 114 + 115, as well as MV6 and D5V12. The colour is a vibrant crimson, with aromas of ripe raspberries, blackberries with spice notes. The palate has a full raspberry fruit profile with a great tannin structure typical of Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. It has a long finish and persistent flavour and will age well for 6 – 8 years.

Listen to Clare's thoughts on this wine via You Tube

Same wine - new name
When you look closely at the label in front of you it seems the same as last year, with the same TarraWarra Estate logo, the ink mark hill/horizon, the gold cow – but wait … the words ‘Tin Cows’ have gone. Yes, the wines are now simply called TarraWarra Estate. The answer lies in the wines themselves, for some years they have now been 100% Estate grown, all hand picked from some 20 different blocks across the Estate with each parcel vinified separately and all treated with the same care and attention to detail that the Reserve wines receive. For us everything is TarraWarra Estate, it is our brand and our business, so it seemed logical to have our two most popular wines bearing just our name. But don’t worry, the sculpture of the Tin Cows by Jeff Thompson still sits proudly at the entrance to the winery, it just won’t be appearing on future releases of the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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