Wine Review | Irrewarra Pinot Noir 2020 95/100 Points

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The Irrewarra Pinot Noir comes from grapes dry grown on a plot of land planted in 2001 by the Calvert family, in the Western Plains of Victoria. This wine made Nick Farr now also wine maker for ByFarr Wines.

Nick Farr readily acknowledges the influence of his father (the legendary Gary Farr who established the Bannockburn region making wonderful Burgundian varietals) in his winemaking and viticultural practices which in turn have been significantly enhanced by his own vast experience. While he was growing up, Nick often worked alongside his father on the family estate before a stint at Rosemount in the Hunter Valley in the late 90s. This was followed by more vintages with Gary as well as at Innisfail Vineyards in the Bannockburn area, where Nick commenced his label Farr Rising. Like his father, Nick has experience at international vineyards, including Cristom in Oregon, Au Bon Climate in California, and Domain Dujac in Burgundy.

“The wines we make are not mainstream – they are expressions of our vineyard, our land and what we like to drink. That is what we promise to deliver.”
Nick Farr

The Vineyard

The vineyard is located in the heart of the Western District Farming country, approximately 150 kilometers south-west of Melbourne. This is an area much better known for dairy, beef, sheep, wheat, hay and forestry production than for wine but it is an area that some skilful wine makers are now turning to make very good Pinot eg Hochkirch which is just a little further down the road towards the Grampians.

Irrewarra is surrounded by in land lakes and volcanic plains. It is a diverse and beautiful landscape that relies on a high amount of natural rainfall throughout the year. The Western plains are quite exposed to the elements which contributes to the vineyard sites mystic.

The soils across the slope of the site are a mixture of grey sandy clay loams at the south end to dark brown loams with fragments of buckshot and quartz gravels towards the north. All with underlying brown to yellow clays.

Overall the soils remain very moist throughout the year because of the clay based soil profile and annual rainfall of 885mm, resulting in the very attractive damp earthiness character in the fruit and wine.

It is a site that truly reflects the complexities and varietal characters of the vines that are planted in this cool climate region.

The Calvert vineyard is a mixture of clones all on own roots, predominantly pinot noir (6 acres) withe a further 2 acres of chardonnay.

The vineyard sits at the top of the slope facing large water reserves ‘Salt Lake’ and the ‘Calvert Lough’ to the north.

It is a site that shows great fruit expression with a deceptively long and mineral palate.

Vintage 2020

Winter rains delivered ample soil moisture leading into Spring, but conditions quickly dried out, with early season frosts, then cold strong winds damaging the canopy and preventing the fruit set. Summer was hot and dry with bushfires across Victoria, late summer was cool and wet. Autumn saw the fruit ripen very slowly and the challenge that the pandemic threw up in getting people able to pick the grapes was helped by the slow ripening.

Nick Farr was recognised as the Gourmet Traveller Wine Maker of the Year in 2020 ‘I feel very honoured to be the second generation in my family to receive this award, after my father Gary won the award in 2001. Relentless work and passion for our piece of dirt within the Moorabool Valley, produces Australian Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Viognier, that we are so very proud to show the world, all of which have a strong sense of origin, place and family connection. I could not be prouder of the people that are involved in our vision for excellence, and the standards that we set for ourselves. These wines are produced to please ourselves, and it is a huge bonus that our customers appreciate them as well.’
Nick Farr, read the full story at Gourmet Traveller Wine

The Wine

This is a rich wine dark in colour for a Pinot Noir, it remains brilliant, the nose is powerful with layers of complexity there is cherry and something funky on the palate there is an intensity of the concentration of flavour and fruit with hints of tobacco and tannins. This is a wine with plenty of layers and plenty of length. The winemaking is excellent and possibly the only very tiny criticism might be in the balance of flavours in the finish which might disappear as the wine matures and more complexity develops in the bottle.