The fruit for our 2024 Cross Breed was Hand picked, destemmed and combined into a small open fermenter where it was allowed to ferment naturally in the same fashion as our Pinot Noir. 28 days on skins with gentle cap management has provided a fine structural tannin profile and extraction of the characteristic orange hue from the grape skins.
Pale, clear orange. A dried spice nose with crushed seed and medicinal herb aromas lead to a broadly firm and grippy palate with subtle cherry, green apple, herb and yellow plum flavours which take on a white pepper and savoury tone on the drying, root spice finish. Very young and drying currently, the structure is quite dominant and needs time to meld into the wine. It is otherwise clean and fruit-focused, although presently lacking a bit in character. - 90 points, Stephen Wong