Irrewarra By Farr Pinot Noir 2021
By Farr is the brand of the Farr Family, started in 1994 by Robyn and Gary on a north facing slope in the township of Bannockburn in the Moorabool Valley. The Original wines where Chardonnay by Farr, Viognier by Farr, Shiraz by Farr and Pinot Noir by Farr now known as Sangreal by Farr. Overtime with the help of Cassie and Nick the vineyards have expand to adjoining neighbouring properties and eventually greater expression of the single site wines that we have today because of the pieces of dirt that we love to farm. The wines of By Farr are built around complexity, layered structure and undeniable length that places them in the highest regard by both consumers for their drinkability and age worthiness or critics around the world for their individuality.
The Irrewarra Vineyard site has now been in the hands of the Farr family and team for 12 years. The vineyard was planted by the Calvert family in 2001 to a mixture of clones on own roots. It is predominantly pinot noir with 6 acres and accompanied by 2 acres of chardonnay. The vineyard sits at the top of the slope facing large water reserves ‘Salt Lake’ and the ‘Calvert Lough’ to the north. It generally takes 10 years for a new planting to bed down there roots and show consistent characteristics. Well it has also taken 10 years to truly unlock the potential of the Western District site. With the support of owners John and Browynn Calvert, the soil management and vine health give wines of unique cool climate viticulture. They are a cooler expression By Farr.
It is a site that shows great fruit expression with a deceptively long and mineral palate. Vintage occurs during April after quite a long growing season. The vineyard is located in the heart of the Western District Farming country, approximately 150 kilometers south-west of Melbourne. Think dairy, beef, sheep, wheat, hay and forestry production. Irrewarra is surrounded by in land lakes and volcanic plains. It is a diverse and beautiful landscape that relies on a high amount of natural rainfall throughout the year. The Western plains are quite exposed to the elements which contributes to the vineyard sites mystic. The soils across the slope of the site are a mixture of grey sandy clay loams at the south end to dark brown loams with fragments of buckshot and quartz gravels towards the north. All with underlying brown to yellow clays. Overall the soils remain very moist throughout the year because of the clay based soil profile and annual rainfall of 885mm, resulting in the very attractive damp earthiness character in the fruit and wine.
The vineyard was planted by the Calvert family in 2001 to a mixture of clones on own roots. It is predominantly pinot noir with 6 acres and accompanied by 2 acres of chardonnay. The vineyard sits at the top of the slope facing large water reserves ‘Salt Lake’ and the ‘Calvert Lough’ to the north. It is a site that truly reflects the complexities and varietal characters of the vines that are planted in this cool climate region. It is a site that shows great fruit expression with a deceptively long and mineral palate. Vintage occurs during April after quite a long growing season.
These are wines that are built around the seasons in which they are grown, the sense of place, and an expression of emotion. Sit back and take in the aromas from a glass of this pinot as you think about sitting at the top of the vineyard surrounded by cows, water, grass and all things Western District farming. The wine has flavours of sweet and sour cherries, earth, spice and a lovely elegant structure.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Geelong, Victoria
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%