November 12th, 2023Wine notes with Clive Hartley

Hard work pays off
Since planting grapevines on an old potato farm in 1998, Passing Clouds has become a stalwart producer in the Macedon Ranges. At Musk, the vineyard is a lofty 742 metres above sea level on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, which is one of the most exposed and coldest vineyard sites in Australia. Not the kindest weather conditions for some, but perfect for making elegant pinot noir and chardonnay. So it was no surprise in it picking up the MCC Labels Trophy at the recent 2023 Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition, as well as the Best Wine of Exhibition Award for its 2022 Estate Chardonnay. This is a great result given the stiff competition from the likes of Curly Flat. “It was nice to receive this for our chardonnay as last year it was the turn of our pinot noir to pick up a trophy,” said winemaker and owner Cameron Leith. Cameron puts some of his success down to the hard work done establishing a regenerative approach in the vineyard. “We started work in 2016 which involved improving the soils and our relationships with the land. It is a different approach than conventional viticulture and one which benefits both the soil and our planet.”
Since starting, he has seen a rise in the quality of his fruit coming off the vineyard as well as reducing the input costs, “purity of place has improved and now the wines remind me more of Europe”. As part of their approach, they planted over 700 native shrubs and grasses in different insectariums that encourage more diversity in insect life. This, for example, has helped curb the snail population which can cause havoc once in the vine canopy. They also have higher than normal organic material in the soil thanks to using natural fertilisers from their sheep and composting their winery and kitchen waste.
The trophy-winning Estate Chardonnay is an elegant, restrained wine with citrus and minerally, slightly saline, driven aromas, accompanied by some oak-derived struck-match complexity. The palate is where you see the cool climate shine brightly with fresh acid-driven citrus and stone fruit flavours yet laced with a savoury oak middle palate on a medium-bodied framework. This wine is delicious to drink now and will age well into the future.

Clive Hartley is an award-winning wine writer, educator and consultant. Want to learn more about wine? Try his Australian Wine Guide (7th ed) from Paradise Books, Daylesford, Stoneman’s Bookroom, Castlemaine or via his website – www.australianwineguide.com.au