Tasting Notes
After over 20 years of making wine, I am just going to say it. Pinot noir is the sexiest grape variety. And believe me, I have made more than my share of varieties.
It attracts first with its captivating aroma, earthy, mushroomy, enticing with some exotic dark cherry and wet leaves or forest floor. Following the alluring scent, there is the anticipation of taste and if you have chosen well, expect some intoxicating flavours of dark cherry with undercurrents of earth and spice. Finally to texture, the perception of which relates to our sense of touch, a great Pinot Noir will be supple, smooth and silky. You will ‘feel’ this wine in your mouth and if it is great Pinot Noir the taste will persist and you will want more.
Smell, taste, touch and desire… sounds sexy to me. - Winery Note
Have you ever sat around enjoying a drink with your friends and imagined ‘What if we could…..??’.
This is how our story began:
Lethbridge Wines grew from a friendship between Ray Nadeson, Maree Collis and Adrian Thomas. Back in the mid 1990’s we were busy establishing careers in science and medicine and shared a love of great wine which ultimately became quite an obsession. The afternoons sipping Burgundies were replaced by weekends searching for the perfect vineyard site and then by afternoons digging holes and planting vines. For two of us (Maree and Ray) the passion for wine drove us to a tree change, and in 2003 after 7 years of balancing careers in science and running a vineyard and winery, we made Lethbridge Wines our reison d'etre.
Our aim is to produce natural, savory wines that focus on balance and texture with a real sense of place or terroir.
Maree Collis and Ray Nadeson are not your average winemakers of a boutique winery. Both were initially trained as research scientists and hold PhD degrees in chemistry and medicine, respectively. While combining their scientific careers with winemaking, Maree and Ray completed the winemaking degree at Charles Sturt University. Ray states, "winemaking is not really that different to science, both are creative and both involve 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration".
Not surprisingly, the site at Lethbridge was selected based on scientific principles such as soil type, degree days and other climatic indicators, yet when the three partners first explored the property they discovered an ancient old wooden fermentation vat in one of the old sheds. Discussion with the previous owner (Ivor Perdrisat) revealed that his family, Swiss in origin, had planted a vineyard on the exact site back in the 1870's before the discovery of phylloxera in the region. The old wine vat has been reincarnated as a beautiful timber tasting bench in the cellar door. This story is compelling in the connection between traditional wisdom and modern science.
| Product Type | Wine Red Pinot Noir |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Victoria |
| Sub Region | Geelong |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |