Blank Canvas Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

Escaroth is a site that truly reflects vintage variation: this year's release simply ticks all the boxes for Pinot Noir fanatics. It has a beguiling, complex perfume that treads both red and blue fruit and an enchanting spice, game and earthy savouriness. The very low-yielding year coupled with the dry-farmed nature of the site has resulted in incredible concentration and intensity. 2020 was again a year that demanded the use of whole-bunch to ensure balanced extraction and lifted aromatics. The result is a very complex, savoury Pinot Noir with a structured yet elegant tannin framework.

We hand-harvested the Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir on the 27st March 2020. 50% of the handpicked fruit was tipped into the open-tank fermenter as whole clusters, with the balance destemmed and crushed over the top. The fruit was kept cool until natural fermentation commenced after five days. The tank was hand-plunged throughout its 15-day fermentation period after which we drained and pressed the wine to barrel where it completed natural malolactic fermentation.

The oak regime was 100% French oak barriques, all low-toast level (35% new) for 12 months, with a further 3 months in tank to gently and naturally settle. We bottled the wine without filtration on the 8th June 2021 and it was released on the 1st November 2022.