Winemaking
Like the great producers of the world, Pimpernel’s approach to winemaking starts with the conviction that extraordinary wine comes only from exceptional fruit. With this as our underpinning philosophy and inspired by the great wines and traditions of Burgundy, Rhône and Loire Valleys in France, we at Pimpernel are one of the few dry-grown (non-irrigated) vineyards in the Yarra Valley. We work the vines hard to delve deep into the subsoils and produce low yields of intensely flavoured fruit.
Pimpernel Estate consists of only 16 acres of vines and yet we perform over 50 separate small batch vinifications each year. This is done to ensure that the unique character of each ferment is captured and that a vast array of base components can be assessed and assembled to create complete wines of depth and complexity that not only reflect the vintage but our interpretation of it.
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While great wine is made in the vineyard, it is imagined, and its potential captured, within the winery.
Preceding each harvest, we take regular fruit samples from the vines and do a ‘bucket crush’, giving us a small juice batch. The juice is then reviewed by taste: judging for physical ripeness, richness of fruit, and acidity. Damien then times his pick, and captures the grapes in their perfect state of balance.
Our picking method is focused on bringing in only the best fruit; anything that does not meet our standards remains in the vineyard. Once picked, bunches are transported from the vineyard into the winery in small 10kg baskets to protect against any premature maceration in the field.
Individual baskets are tipped onto a mechanical sorting table, for a final opportunity to remove substandard fruit and non-grape matter. Once sorted, the grapes are either de-stemmed or crushed into small, open-top fermenters.
During the fermentation of red varietals, batches are hand-plunged or foot-stomped for delicate tannin extraction during fermentation. White varietals are almost entirely fermented in oak barrels for added complexity.
Once fermentation is complete, the grapes are basket pressed (a process favoured for it gentle separation of the wine from grape skins) before being transferred via gravity (instead of pump) into barrel.
Here in our underground cellar, the wine will complete malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. The barrel age, size, and shape, as well as the maturation time, will be dependent on the variety and desired style. Once barrelled, the wine is matured for 10-24 months before final blending and bottling.
