Thousand Candles Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

At thousand candles we have always aimed to capture the essence and detail of our unique vineyard in the wines we produce. Our primary focus is to ensure that the fruit we grow comes from the healthiest vines. This means our soil has to be in the best possible condition.

The aim is to have an extremely healthy and well balanced soil. Soil health is achieved through the balance of physics, chemistry and biology. This enables the plants to better access the required water and nutrients, suppress plant pathogens and allow vines to increase their root growth. 

Understanding how the soil microbes and ecosystem below the surface works is vital. Having a large and diverse range of beneficial microbes means the system is always in good balance and can better buffer itself against extreme weather conditions such as prolonged hot, dry spells or cold and wet conditions.

This management system has enabled us not to rely on herbicides, heavy pesticides and synthetic fertilisers to grow our fruit. We take a holistic approach to managing the vineyards by looking after the soil, the vines and the undervine grasses and clovers. We want a healthy and diverse system – not a sterile monoculture that exists in many mainstream, conventional vineyards.

This biological farming approach produces fruit and wines that best express the truth of where they have come from and the influence of the seasons. We continually find that flavours come on early in the fruit with ideal sugar levels balanced with high natural acid. 

Our winemaking follows on from our vineyard approach allowing the fruit to express itself with minimal intervention. All the wines from thousand candles are made from 100% estate grown, hand picked fruit. We pick in the cool of the morning and process that day.

A steep east facing slope that catches the morning sun. Clay loam soils sit above an ancient rocky subsoil. Free draining soil allows for very balanced vine growth. Open canopies and smaller bunch size produces wines with fruit density, structure and depth. We hand pick several parcels of fruit from this site and ferment separately with different whole bunch and whole berry components. Wild yeast, gentle handling no pump overs or plunging. We do this to allow true vineyard expression. After three weeks on skins the wines are pressed individually into older French barriques. Raspberry, herbs and a slight earthiness. A hallmark of this wine is its structure, fine grained yet velvety tannins coat the whole palate seamlessly.

Whole bunches (50%), gentle handling with no pumpovers or plunging. Matured in seasoned French barriques. Excellent wines from Thousand Candles in 2021, thoroughly deserving of the Best Small Producer trophy they picked up at the 2022 Yarra Valley Wine Show. A bright crimson red. A gently textured wine that was made with respect for the fruit with real persistence and finesse. There's lovely purity to the aromas of red cherries, small, wild strawberries, violets and spice. The whole bunches are barely perceptible, and velvety, quite firm and persistent tannins are in complete harmony with the wine, too. Rating: 96 Points, Special Value - 96 POINTS Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion