1999 Lindemans Padthaway Vineyard Pinot Noir

Padthaway, part of the newly designated Limestone Coast zone and 310km to the south-east of Adelaide, is blessed with a temperate climate that shares similar top quality soil as its famed neighbour Coonawarra. Lindemans first recognised the potential of this region in the 1960s and began planting what was to become one of Australia's largest and most rewarded vineyards. Some fruit for the 1999 Padthaway Pinot Noir was hand-picked and then macerated by foot in 400kg shallow bins four times a day for one week. Other components of the blend were fermented in small vats, with a proportion of stalks and hand-picked fruit, and then gently pressed. The new wine was then racked lightly into small French oak barrels and matured on lees for ten months.
Vintage Conditions: Dry and warm, giving rise to slightly earlier ripening from lower than average crops.
Maturation: 10 months in small French oak barrels.

Tasting Note:
Cherry red Colour. Ripe, full berry characteristics showing spicy, plummy fruit. Carefully chosen French oak allows the fruit to shine through while, at the same time, providing hints of clover and cinnamon. Mulberry/plum characters are highlighted by a little stalkiness. A medium-bodied, complex wine with elegance and persistence of flavour and sufficient tannins and balanced acid to match the sweet, plum-like fruit. Drink now or cellar 2-3 years.