Marcus Hill Vineyard Bellarine Peninsula Pinot Noir 2013

In 2000, Richard and Margot Harrison, along with some dedicated friends (since rewarded with a mention on their ‘People Madly Stomping Pinot Noir’ label) realised a dream and planted Pinot Noir on a plot of land on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, a pretty, rugged region that juts out into Port Phillip Bay, not far from Geelong. The vineyard is part of a small farm planted to indigenous trees and shrubs, and home to an array of native fauna that provide natural pest control for the vines – no pesticides required. Plantings now also include Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Meunier. The grapes are hand-picked, hand-crafted and foot-stomped (again, with those very useful family and friends) and made with minimal intervention, to create elegant, aromatic wines of great expression and character. The 2013 Pinot Noir has beautiful cherry, plum and earthy characters, with lovely supple tannins and good length.