De Bortoli Phi Lusatia Park Pinot Noir 2022

Trophy for Best Wine of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Best Pinot Noir of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Grower Best Single Vineyard - 2023 Victorian Wine Show

The Lusatia Park vineyard has been the source of many of the finest pinot noirs made in the Yarra Valley and Australia. The vineyard was purchased by De Bortoli in 2016. The 2022 Phi Lusatia Park Pinot Noir is a pearler. Winner of four Trophies at the 2023 Victorian Wine Show, including the Best Wine of Show, it is an extremely well-priced single vineyard wine that is a joy to drink.

"Incredibly lifted and perfumed. Roses, violets, cherry blossom and some [whole] bunch evident. A generous palate with loads of red fruits including cranberries and strawberries. Bunchy tannins are really well integrated, and I love the extra-long finish of this wine. Classy." Patrick Dowling

"Classic cool and mild growing season. Bright colours, amazing perfume and charm. Ethereal, transparent, expressive, red and dark fruits. Intense bright flavours, gentle and opulent, fine tannin, spice, silky texture. Fruit is hand-picked and sorted to open fermenters. A combination of whole berries and whole bunches. Fermented with ambient yeast. A mixture of hand plunging and gentle turnovers. 15-20 days maceration, pressed and racked to a new and used French oak barriques for 7 months."  De Bortoli

Expert reviews

"A captivating nose with perfumed scents of cherries, strawberries and violets. A gentle and fruit-driven medium-bodied palate with silky tannins and fresh acidity. An extremely well-priced single vineyard wine that is a joy to drink."  Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines - 96 points and Special Value Wine  ★  

"A mix of vineyards and clones from the Lusatia Park vineyard in Woori Yallock. Bright cherry red. An immediately appealing wine with its dark cherry fruit, lavender and incense. This has good weight and depth without being heavy. A touch savoury, too, and the tannins are silky and long. Already a joy to drink, this will still be looking good four to six years from now."  Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points and Special Value Wine  ★

"Good depth of colour, deep-ish red-purple; dark cherry, Campari and mixed spices to sniff, the palate bright and fresh, intense and medium weighted, plum pit flavours and a trace of pleasant bitterness to finish. This has some structure and would hold a while. Palate has finesse and length. Lovely. Drink 2023–2034".  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points

"The aroma of this wine was truly captivating, enticing me to take more than just a sip. It presented an alluring and intricate bouquet of ripe white cherries, freshly plucked raspberries, subtle earthy notes and a hint of sweet spice, which showed through onto the palate. These aromas and flavours were layered with velvety, silky, and luxurious tannins. The finish was delightful, sappy, displaying impressive length and persistence."  Dr Ray Nadeson, Young Gun of Wine - #1 Top Yarra Valley Pinot Noirs

"Ripe black berries, Coca-Cola, inky nose. Nose is driven by ripeness, with a modern and polished palate. Ripe blackberries and dried herbs … supported by black pepper spice … well balanced and should be a crowd pleaser. Full and complex."  Yuki Hirose MS, Young Gun of Wine - #1 Top Yarra Valley Pinot Noirs

"Incredibly lifted and perfumed. Roses, violets, cherry blossom and some [whole] bunch evident. A generous palate with loads of red fruits including cranberries and strawberries. Hasn’t missed the oak; however, it adds well to the overall unctuous nature of this wine. Bunchy tannins are really well integrated, and I love the extra-long finish of this wine. Classy." Patrick Dowling, Young Gun of Wine - #2 Top Yarra Valley Pinot Noirs

Awards

Trophy for Best Wine of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Best Pinot Noir of Show - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Trophy for Grower Best Single Vineyard - 2023 Victorian Wine Show
Gold Medal - 2023 Victorian Wine Show 
Gold Medal - 2023 Yarra Valley Wine Show 
Special Value Wine – Halliday Wine Review  ★
Special Value Wine – Canterbury Wines  ★

About the winery

Vittorio De Bortoli carried his dreams of a better life from the alpine foothills of Italy's north to the fertile Riverina region in New South Wales when he immigrated to Australia in 1924. He subsequently purchased a 55-acre fruit farm in 1928, a year there was a glut of shiraz grapes and many farmers see it cheaper to let the grapes rot on the vines. Vittorio takes them for free and crushes 15 tonnes of shiraz grapes. Local Italians and other European workers in the area offer to buy wine from him and De Bortoli Wines is born.

Vittorio's son, Deen De Bortoli, was born in 1936 and at 15 years of age he left school against his parents' wishes to begin working in the family winery at Bilbul. In the late '50s he begins modernising the winery and expanding production.

Darren, Leanne, Kevin and Victor De Bortoli, the third generation of the family and the children of Deen and Emeri De Bortoli, are the custodians of De Bortoli Wines today. Each has pride in and a commitment to the business, alongside a passion for great wine and a sense of responsibility about leaving a legacy for future generations.

De Bortoli Wines established the Yarra Valley Estate in 1987, acquiring some of the oldest plantings in the region. In 1989, Leanne De Bortoli married winemaker Steve Webber and the De Bortoli family approached them to head up operations at the new Yarra Valley Estate.

Steve Webber completed his studies in winemaking at Roseworthy in 1982 and prior to taking up the reins at De Bortoli, gained valuable winemaking experience at Leo Buring and Lindemans. Steve describes the transition at de Bortoli as "a steep learning curve"; understanding the seasons, learning about the different aspects, experimenting with varieties and clones, all with the goal of making wine with a sense of place. He has won several major awards including Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year in 2007 and the Jimmy Watson Trophy in 1997, and has been a Wine-show judge over the last 25 years.

The De Bortoli wines are released in two quality and price tiers - at the top, Single Vineyard, then Estate Grown. The Estate label, in particular, offers exceptional value for money. In addition, there are several small-volume labels produced:

• the PHI range from the iconic 7.5ha Lusatia Park Vineyard in the Yarra Valley and the Freemans Bridge Vineyard in Heathcote, both purchased by De Bortoli in 2016
• the Riorret Single Vineyard range from the Lusatia Park Vineyard and the Abbey Vineyard at Tarrawarra
• the Melba range; three premium Cabernet Sauvignons from the Melba Vineyard at Dixons Creek 
• La Boheme, an aromatic range of bistro Yarra Valley wines