2023 Picardy Tete de Cuvee Pinot Noir, Pemberton

Picardy Tete de Cuvee Pinot Noir from Pemberton is a graceful, quietly powerful and deeply textural Pinot Noir from one of Western Australia’s most respected family estates. The Pannells established Picardy in the early nineties after years in the Adelaide Hills, choosing the cool, high rainfall region of Pemberton for its ability to produce Pinot with purity, perfume and longevity. Their vineyards sit on ancient karri loam and gravelly soils over ironstone, conditions that give Pinot Noir a fine mineral backbone and impeccably balanced acidity. Low yields, gentle breezes and slow ripening create fruit of remarkable concentration without heaviness, allowing Picardy to craft wines that feel Burgundian in spirit but unmistakably Southern Forests in personality.

The Tête de Cuvée represents a selection of the estate’s best Pinot Noir parcels, typically taken from the oldest vines, some approaching thirty years of age. These mature vines provide naturally small berries, intense colour and tannins that are finer and more intricate. The winemaking is patient and deliberately understated. Wild ferment in small open top vats, a careful percentage of whole bunches, gentle extraction and ageing in quality French oak (mostly seasoned) all work together to frame rather than dominate the wine. The result is a Pinot Noir with depth, delicacy and quiet authority.

Aromatically it is captivating. Layers of wild strawberry, red cherry and black raspberry mingle with rose petals, violets and hints of pomegranate. Beneath the perfume lie subtler tones of forest floor, warm spice, sandalwood, cocoa and a whisper of graphite that nods to the estate’s iron rich soils. As the wine opens, it gains savoury nuance: dried herbs, truffle, autumn leaves and soft earth.

The palate glides forward with impressive finesse. Silky tannins carry flavours of cherry, cranberry, spiced plum, redcurrant and fine oak spice. There’s a lovely interplay between brightness and depth, the mid palate filled with supple fruit while a cool mineral line keeps everything focused. The wine gathers complexity toward the finish, which lingers with red fruit, florals and a slowly unfurling savoury undertow. This cuvée ages beautifully, often developing for ten to fifteen years with increasing notes of truffle, forest floor and exotic spice.

This style works magnificently with roast duck, herb crusted lamb, mushroom dishes, confit chicken, truffle gnocchi, grilled salmon, charcuterie or washed rind cheeses. Its combination of finesse and quiet power makes it a superb match for richly flavoured but elegant dishes.