Ten Minutes By Tractor McCutcheon Pinot Noir 2010 (Mornington Peninsula, Vic)
13.5%, Screwcap, $75
Source: Sample
www.tenminutesbytractor.com.au

As with the rest of the Ten Minutes by Tractor single vineyard range, this feels like a super premium wine, with a certain sensuality to this Pinot in particular – on both nose and palate – that makes it stick out amongst the other Ten Minutes by Tractor Pinots. It feels riper, sexier, fuller and bigger (and is all the better for it) making it my favourite Pinot of the range.

Handpicked and 100% destemmed, this had a 5 day maceration and was then wild fermented with a short post-ferment maceration for a total of 20 days on skins. 25% new oak, 14 months in barrel, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Just 193 dozen made.

It smells alive too – sappy and plummy, with warm plum and raspberry coulis fruit. Quite forward on the nose, ripe and already open, curvaceous and full. Strong sappy tannins and dry meaty extract on palate suggest the maceration served its purpose well, giving this more masculine edges without harshness. I can’t fault the tannins actually, nor is there much to quibble about this serious, structured yet also perfectly detailed meaty Mornington Pinot.  Superb wine.

Drink: 2013-2018+
Score: 18.8/20 95/100
Would I buy it? Yes. Not cheap but worth every cent.