By Charlene Macaulay
This drop of red from Werribee’s Shadowfax Wines has been judged one of Australia’s finest.
The 2017 Little Hampton pinot noir won gold at the Sydney Royal Wine Show recently, just months after being bottled back in February.
Chief winemaker Alister Timms said it was the first time the pinot noir had been entered into a competition.
“It was really exciting, there was only five golds for the whole thing and there were some great wines in there,” he said.
“The judges said it was a very strong class and they really did like the fragrance and the fine tannin in the wine.
“It’s good to get some sort of reward for all the work we’ve done over the years.”
The pinot noir grapes are grown at the winery’s Little Hampton Vineyard in the Macedon Ranges, which the Shadowfax team has been cultivating for the past six years. Pinot gris grapes are also grown on the site.
Mr Timms said the vineyard, which is 720 metres above sea level, is one of the coldest in the Macedon Ranges and is responsible for the wine’s “lovely fragrance and elegance”.
“It’s the most challenging [to make], but it could be the most rewarding as well. You’ve got to do a lot of work in the vineyard to get it right.”
He said the wine, which has a bouquet of floral violets and rose petal, bolstered by blueberry and raspberry fruits, was best paired with duck dishes.
