The Block 8 vineyard is 3/4 of a hectare in size on a sheltered, north-west facing, and very quartz riddled site with some fertile volcanic soils. The eighth block planted at Bindi has a grandstand exposition sweeping down the mid slope. Here there are mostly 11,300 vines per hectare with a Crazy section at 22,600 vines per hectare featuring seven clones. The wines from this vineyard are compelling and delicious when young and as history has shown, going back to the 1992 Bindi Pinot Noir, the wines age exceptionally well from the beginning and drink beautifully for a long time.
The wine spends 15-17 months in French barrels of which about 50% are new. The Block 8 wine has exceptional fruit depth and earthiness and is intensely structured, very long and ageworthy.
Production typically varies from 125-200 dozen per vintage.
"Bindi aficionados know the inaugural release of Block 8, off the high-density site planted in ’16, was vintage 2021 – a spectacular debut. Obviously the ’19 and ’20 wines were bottled; having tasted all a few years back, well ’21 was off-the-charts, the others very good but not in the same league or needed more time. However, I loved ’19 then and today. It is riper, fleshier by Bindi standards. It’s perfumed with savoury inputs some forest floor, cherries and pips, a little earthy. Fuller bodied, layers of flavour with plush tannins and decent structure. Aged 16 months in French barriques (50% new) – and the wood has imparted a cedary sweetness and slight green walnut note. Just a bit of seasoning, though. " 97 points.
Jane Faulkner
Published 07 June 2024.
