Crittenden Pinocchio Arneis 2013 CONFIRM 2013 VINTAGE

Arneis King Yarra Mornington Victoria
Garry and Rollo Crittenden are dedicated vignerons who channel their efforts into producing small batches of fine wine. Arneis is a rare varietal originating from Piedmonte in northwest Italy which came close to extinction. Crittenden was the first commercially released Arneis made in the southern hemisphere. A backbone of fruit is sourced from good vineyards in the King Valley which is a region endowed with a climate almost identical to Piedmont. An addition from Crittenden's site in Mornington contributes vibrant fruit characters and aromatics.
Sourced from fine vineyards under contract in King Valley, the remainder from the Crittenden property at Dromana, all parcels are picked by hand. Grapes are transported to the Crittenden wineworks where they are processed as whole bunches through an airbag press. Juices are settled without enzymes for twenty four hours and racked to controlled fermenters. Vinifications are limited to moderate temperatures of 16C for up to three weeks until batches are completely dry. The fermented wine then spends some time in tank on lees to impart texture and infuse complexity. Treated to a term of age unoaked and without any malolactic, Pinocchio is filtered after a few months and made ready for bottling.
Pale straw hue. True to the Piedmontese style, Pinocchio shows characters of pear, stonefruits and fresh apple on the nose. Crisp and fresh with a mouthfilling palate of juicy acidity, flavours of peaches and pear, mineral and flint with a crunchy dry finish. To be enjoyed in its youth, Arneis really comes into its own with good food, particularly with authentic Italiano such as cuttlefish or white bait.
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The Mornington Peninsula was scarcely associated with wine when Garry planted his first vines at Dromana in 1982.

As a key figure in the region's pioneering wave of vignerons, Garry was instrumental in forging for the Peninsula a reputation as a distinguished producer of cool climate wine.

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From the outset, he recognized the area's climatic suitability to the Burgundian varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and set about confirming it through meticulous viticulture and sophisticated winemaking techniques.

Consistent with the reputation of Dromana Estate's wines was its development into one of the Peninsula's leading wine tourism destinations, where stylish, handcrafted wines were matched with good food and warm, generous hospitality.

And with a thirst for exploring new horizons and charting unexplored territory, Garry also went on to create two other brands drawing on grapes from other premium regions of Victoria. The first, Schinus, remains a favourite among consumers in Australia and abroad. Garry also helped to pioneer the production of Italian varietals in Australia with his ground-breaking Garry Crittenden I range.

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At a time when awareness of such varieties was barely at an embryonic stage, he helped to bring about an increasingly widespread appreciation of varietals such as Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Arneis.

Garry Crittenden has returned as a dedicated small scale vigneron with an exciting new series of handcrafted wines. A leading figure in the Australian wine industry for 25 years, Garry was the founder and chief winemaker of the renowned Dromana Estate, now a publicly-listed company.

The property formerly known as Dromana Estate is now the base for Garry's new winemaking operations, as well as home to Stillwater Restaurant, owned and operated by acclaimed chef Zac Poulier.

Garry's portfolio now spans estate-grown, cool climate wines of Burgundian origin, new and exciting Italian varietals and other regional classics from both the Mornington Pensinsula and further afield from some of north-east Victoria's finest vineyards.

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