2017 Tapanappa Definitus Pinot Noir, Adelaide Hills

The 2017 Definitus is of moderate colour intensity and crimson hue.The aromas and flavours are delicate and ethereal with violet ad roses floral, ripe strawberries and dark fruits and an earthy terroir nuance.

The palate structure sets Definitus apart. The texture is silky and creamy but the finishing tannins are firm and sandy. Definitus is a pure expression of a unique terroir and will benefit from a decade or longer of bottle age.

There are four hectares of pinot noir growing on the Foggy Hill vineyard; this is from a one-hectare strip. It’s planted at a density of 4444 vines/hectare, using clones 115 and 777, all planted on rootstock. It’s light, firm and immensely spicy. Roots, leaves, earth and wood combine with strawberry, red cherry, beet and violets. There’s a geranium-like character here; it’s a complex wine, inherently complex. Its charms are clean and yet its sleeves are well stocked; it has a lot more in store for the patient, cork permitting. Impressive, this wine is.

This is smoky and savoury, scented with dried herb and dried flowers like the regular Foggy Hill, but with a little more density, flesh and concentration. Very savoury and quite delicious, the finish long and harmonious.