Mount Trio Porongurup Pinot Noir 2024

Tasting Notes

• Colour: A bright, deep crimson red with slight purplish hues, inviting and vibrant.
• Aromatics: Fragrant red fruit aromas of cranberry and pomegranate, with a subtle smoky edge adding depth and intrigue.
• Palate: A beautifully delicate Pinot, bursting with fresh cranberry and tamarillo flavours, balanced by gentle tannins and light charred notes. Its moderate weight and good acidity provide a smooth, textured mouthfeel, with a firm, yet clean finish.
• Finish: Light, fresh, and gently tannic with a smooth, lingering finish that showcases its balance.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

• Grilled Salmon or Tuna: The bright acidity and fruity character pair perfectly with fatty fish like grilled salmon or tuna.
• Roast Duck: The gentle tannins and subtle smokiness work wonderfully with rich duck dishes, especially when served with a berry-based sauce.
• Mushroom Risotto: The earthy flavours of mushrooms are complemented by the wine’s depth and structure, creating a harmonious pairing.
• Charcuterie: Try it with a variety of cured meats like prosciutto or salami, where the wine’s acidity and texture shine.

Vineyard & Winemaking:

Technical Data:

• Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
• Region: Porongurup, Great Southern, Western Australia
• Alcohol: 14.5% by Vol | 8.0 Standard Drinks
• Cellaring: Best enjoyed now but can cellar for 3-5 years for additional complexity.
• Oak: 9 months maturation in 1 & 2 year old French barrels.

Vintage:

In the Porongurup’s (Great Southern, WA), the 2024 vintage is already being characterised as unusually early and compressed. The growing season got off to a rapid start, with warm spring conditions advancing budburst, flowering, and subsequent phenological stages ahead of schedule. As a result, many varieties, including Pinot Noir were harvested about a month earlier than is typical in Mount Barker. 

Viticultural challenges were not absent. During late October, isolated frost incidents occurred in Mount Barker, causing some crop loss in vulnerable blocks. Later in the season, heat spikes exceeding 40 °C in January and February put pressure on canopies, with potential for sunburn and desiccation in exposed bunches. It appears that careful canopy management and irrigation strategy (where available) were critical to preserving fruit condition and avoiding excessive stress. 

All together, the signals from the Porongurup area suggest:

• Concentration and depth: The compressed season and warmer conditions seem to have pushed phenolic and flavour accumulation, giving wines with more density than in cooler years.

• Structure moderated by acidity: While the fruit is richer, good retention of natural acidity in many blocks helps maintain freshness and lift in the wine.

• Soft tannin framework: The early examples show gentle, well integrated tannins rather than aggressive grip, which may favour earlier drinking or moderate cellaring.

• Complex aromatics: Alongside primary red fruit (cherry, red berries) there’s a tendency toward herbal, forest floor and spice notes—suggesting that these wines may evolve interesting tertiary characters with time.

• Vintage consistency is site-dependent: As always in Pinot Noir, microclimate, slope, soil depth, canopy shading, and exposure will make significant differences. Some parcels may struggle under heat stress, while better sheltered or cooler sites may shine.

Best Serving Temperature:

• Ideal Serving Temperature: 14-16°C
  Serve slightly chilled to enjoy its lively fruit character and balance of acidity.

Technical Wine Language Explained:

• Tannins: Natural compounds found in grape skins that give wine structure and contribute to its ageing potential.
• Acidity: The crisp, fresh quality in wine that helps balance sweetness and provides a refreshing finish.
• Charry Notes: A light smoky or toasted character, often derived from subtle oak influences during the winemaking process.
• Cool-Climate: A region where grapes ripen more slowly, producing wines with fresh acidity, subtle tannins, and aromatic complexity.