2023 Quealy Campbell & Christine Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula

“Medium depth of colour, a slight tint of purple; smoky charcuterie and five spice to sniff, with subtle notes of angelica, char oak and spicy whole-bunch treatment, the palate sinewy, punchy and nicely concentrated, with fine emery-like tannins and a full finish. Lovely savoury follow-through.” 

94 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review

With Musk Creek and Tussie Mussie, this site completes the trio of Quealy’s premier-league, leased Mornington Peninsula vineyards. Established by doctors Campbell and Christine Penfold in 1994, it mainly features the MV6 clone. Some 114 and 115 were also planted, taking advantage of the premium clones that became available around the same time. Located on the coastal plain, it sits just 30 metres above sea level behind Balnarring village. It’s a dry-grown, well-exposed, north-facing site with alluvial clay and red soils washed down from Red Hill. Tom McCarthy tells us it produces “gorgeous, small bunches of glossy Pinot Noir”. Stylistically, Campbell & Christine sits at the more concentrated, muscular end of the Pinot spectrum.

This site is famed for producing powerful fruit, and the paltry yields in 2023 have heightened this further. With that in mind, Tom took a mindful, gentle approach in the cellar. The fruit came off the vine in pristine condition on 23rd March and was destemmed to mostly small vats for fermentation, with a small portion fermented in barrel. The wine was pressed to barrel after 21 days for 14 months’ maturation in hogsheads, 25% of which were new. The wine was then bottled unfined and unfiltered in June 2024. This has serious flavour–juicy red fruits with some black cherry depth, earth, spice and a tea leaf/floral lift. It’s supple and seductive, with svelte structure and fine, fresh lines. Great length, too.