2023 Maipenrai Pinot Noir is released - 9 November 2025

I am happy to be releasing our 2023 Maipenrai Pinot Noir - unfortunately no Amungula Creek was made in 2023 for lack of grapes. While we made a bit more Maipenrai in 2023 than the last 3 years, there is still not a lot of it. So more people will be able to get some compared to the last few years, but it will likely sell out over the next few days.  

Looking forward to 2024, we have a similar amount of Maipenrai (6 barriques), as well as a small amount of Amungula Creek Pinot Noir (4 barriques) and Shiraz-Viognier (3 barriques).  It is the 2025 vintage where we will once again have an abundant supply of Maipenrai and Amungula Creek Pinot Noir. 

Brian Schmidt

2023 Maipenrai Pinot Noir

The winter/spring of 2022 the wettest we have ever experienced at Maipenrai. The little ravine that comes down from the vineyard into Amungula Creek ran for 4 months straight - it normally only runs a few days per year. The spring was consistently cool and wet, and while budburst was, as typical, around October 1st, flowering was almost a month late - around the 20th of December. We were very diligent on our sprays and remained disease free in what was by far and away the coolest year at Maipenrai since our establishment in 2000. The year finished up thankfully warmish and relatively dry, and in the end, the grapes ripened beautifully with us picking just over 2 tonnes on the 22nd of April (latest vintage ever). Fermented with wild yeasts and 25% whole bunches, we bottled the wine unfined and unfiltered after 23 months in French oak barriques, 30% of which were new.

The 2023 Maipenrai Pinot Noir has a medium ruby colour, with a complex foresty nose. On the palate, it is light to medium bodied, with very fine tannins up front, some cherry fruit and beef jerky and a touch of bitter almond, and a sleek finish of glycerine and cedary oak. Easy to drink now, it will improve over the next 5-10 years if kept well cellared. A sophisticated wine for the Burgundy lover rather than a fruit-bomb, it represents a great example of a cool-vintage Australian Pinot Noir. Total Production was 6 barriques. 

Bottled with glass stoppers, its available for $240 per case of 6 (includes shipping to NSW, ACT, VIC, Adelaide, or Brisbane - other destinations there is a small charge). 

Wine will be shipped within 2 weeks by Australian Post (via Mount Majura Winery). Limit of 6 bottles per customer of the wine. We'll do our best to steer around hot weather - and hopefully will release next year's vintage a month earlier.