Pinot Noir 'Cathedral' William Downie 2022

The Pinot Noir ‘Cathedral’ is a red wine with a fresh and fragrant aromatic profile, produced by the Australian winemaker William Downie. After several years of apprenticeship in Burgundy, William returned to Australia, founding his own label in 2003 with the aim of producing wines that fully express the character of the place and the authentic style of their creator, vinified with a minimalist winemaking approach. In just a few years, William has established himself as one of the greatest Australian interpreters of Pinot Noir, appreciated for his ability to vinify this grape with exceptional mastery. It is no coincidence that in 2006 he was named “Young Australian Winemaker of the Year” by Gourmet Traveller magazine.

William Downie ‘Cathedral’ Pinot Noir comes from only grapes of the eponymous French variety, hand-picked from vineyards located in the Mornington Peninsula and King Valley regions. The vines are cultivated according to the principles of organic farming. In the winery, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by only indigenous yeasts without temperature control, with about 20 days of contact between the must and the skins.Subsequently, the mass undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation and is aged for 12 months in wooden barrels before being bottled without any clarification or filtration.

The Australian Pinot Noir William Downie ‘Cathedral’ has an intense ruby red color. Fragrant and articulated, the olfactory panorama features fruity hints of blackcurrant, raspberry, and cherry, combined with refined notes of dark spices. The sip shows remarkable balance between soft smoothness and juicy freshness, with a velvety tannin that leads to a long and flavorful finish, with excellent taste-aromatic correspondence.