Misha’s Vineyard made its first wines in the 2007 vintage, and over the decade the wines have reflected the growing age of the vines and their increasing harmony with the very ‘bony’ site. The white wines, being of a more elegant style seemed to be in sync with the land early on, but they have become more natural and fine in presentation. It is with the reds that the increasing finesse can be seen. Winemaker Olly Masters has had to interpret the fruit and guide the winemaking for the Pinot Noirs into balance, as the wines, typical of the Bendigo region have an inherent firmness from my tastings and perspective. At the start of this year, Misha’s Vineyard released their ‘Cantata’ Pinot Noir 2015, the inaugural bottling of a more accessible style but with good depth and intensity, compared to the ageworthy, more structured ‘High Note’ and ‘Versimo’ wines. I rated this 5-stars (click here to see my review), but more importantly, it signalled that the vineyard was producing fruit with richness and accessibility, and of course, demonstrated Olly’s skills!
Misha Wilkinson has reported that export sales and a surge in domestic sales have required the release of three wines which were scheduled for release next year. This is a sign of the quality of the Misha’s Vineyard wines becoming more highly recognised and the sales that accompany it. It’s a bit of a shame for me, because I certainly enjoyed seeing the whole range being presented at the same release date! But commercial realities rule! The wines are the more difficult to handle or make, as intimated above with the ‘Cantata’ Pinot Noir, or are a little off the beaten track for Central Otago, but clearly successful for Misha’s Vineyard. I review the wines here. www.mishasvineyard.com
