"The 2023 vintage of Peter Max Pinot Noir displays aromas of red cherry, cranberry, rose and lavender. The palate is dense and focused with fine, grippy tannins lending further structure and depth to the weight of fruit."
A pioneer in the production of cool climate Pinot Noir at Bouchard Finlayson.
This small winery was established in 2007 by brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson. Their father, Peter, was a pioneer in the production of cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Bouchard Finlayson, so after university it seemed the natural thing for the boys to return home and source some fruit from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley to start their own label. Crystallum is now one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa, yet the Finlaysons are determined to make even better wines. Peter-Allan has sourced fruit from some new vineyards, while winemaking has evolved. All of the wines are now fermented using indigenous yeasts and new oak has been reduced to help the bright fruit shine through.
The ‘Peter Max’ is made with fruit from five different vineyards. These include two in the Hemel-en-Aarde, one near Clay Shales, one outside Villiersdorp and a new high-elevation sit, inland. Peter-Allan uses about 50% whole bunch and indigenous yeast fermentation, followed by a reasonably long maceration to create a wine with lifted aromatics, lovely grainy tannins, as well as excellent balance and length.
The 2023 vintage was not without its challenges. A very dry and warm start to the season and early bud break, was followed by cooler and wet weather in mid-December, which prolonged ripening. There was some sporadic rainfall in February, but fortunately, this had less impact on earlier ripening varieties during harvest. The resulting wines are focused and precise but with a slightly riper profile than the preceding vintage.
The fruit was harvested by hand and delivered to the cellar in small crates. Approximately 50% of the grapes were de-stemmed and added to the remainder, which were left as whole clusters. The temperature of the must was then lowered for a few days, after which the tank was allowed to warm up for natural fermentation to begin. This fermentation regime kept extraction to a minimum, while allowing for a slow, extended maceration period of four weeks. The wine was aged in 228 litre and 500 litre, lightly toasted French oak barrels for nine months.
