Hurley Vineyard Hommage Pinot Noir 2021

"Kevin Bell is an extraordinary man who brings his intelligence and empathy to the craft of wine growing. The subtle distinctions  between the three Hurley sites are worthy testament to Bell's innate talent."  Peter Bourne

Kevin Bell and his wife Tricia Byrnes established Hurley Vineyard in 1998. The 3.43 ha vineyard, located in the south-eastern lowland hills of the Mornington Peninsula, is planted solely to Pinot Noir. The site has three clearly defined climates and a single vineyard wine is produced from the three blocks: Lodestone, Hommage and Garamond.

The 0.8 ha Hommage plot was planted in 1998 and 1999. It is almost entirely clone G5V15, with a few rows of MV6. It faces north-east, is warm and bright, but its terroir is softened by the little corner pocket in which it sits. It is between Lodestone and Garamond in almost every way and is harvested second.  

"Bright and finer boned from Hommage in 2021. Easy access, but all the right moves. Pretty perfume, red cherry, faint raspberry, sage leaf, bay leaf, sea spray, mocha. In the palate, the same, but lithe and frisky, bright and refreshing, a web of lacy, sandy tannins shaping things nicely and the finish trails away in peppery and curry leaf spice. Yummo. It’s a vibrant expression yet still holds that Hurley compact house style, or vineyard detail. Fine wine."  Mike Bennie

"Typically, it smells of ripe plums and the forest floor. It can have the subtle fragrance of flowers. Invariably, it tastes of wine gums and jubes. You can always see soft, squishy berries, like mulberries, and firmer ones, like blueberries. The fermenting vats actually smell and taste that way! Hommage tastes more of fruit than earth. It is full and supple in the palate, but not loose. Our emphasis now is more on the freshness of the fruit - the point where the sweetness is balanced by velvety tannins. It is often described as 'Burgundian'."  Hurley Vineyard

Expert reviews

"Bright and finer boned from Hommage in 2021. Easy access, but all the right moves. Pretty perfume, red cherry, faint raspberry, sage leaf, bay leaf, sea spray, mocha. In the palate, the same, but lithe and frisky, bright and refreshing, a web of lacy, sandy tannins shaping things nicely and the finish trails away in peppery and curry leaf spice. Yummo. It’s a vibrant expression yet still holds that Hurley compact house style, or vineyard detail. Fine wine. Drink: 2023 - 2030."  Mike Bennie, The Wine Front - 96 points

"Medium-full depth of colour with a purple tint; the bouquet vanilla and chocolate flecked with eucalyptus-mint, but also dark cherry to plum and savoury underbrush nuances, while the palate is full and intense, quite powerful and firmly structured with a long carry and abundant tannins. This should reward cellaring. Impressive power and concentration. Drink: 2024–2033."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 94 points 

"Very earthy and savoury with poached rhubarb, woodsmoke and charred radicchio. Pops of sweet cherry coming through but the acidity and terse yet textural tannins are only just seeing eye-to-eye. Needs hearty fare, for starters. Drink by 2034."  Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion - 93 points

Hommage vineyard

The name Hommage honours the winemaking families who have gone before. We owe them much and in this way, acknowledge our debt. 

The 0.8 hectare Hommage plot has a north-easterly aspect. It is warm and bright, but its terroir is softened by the little corner pocket in which it sits. It is between Lodestone and Garamond in almost every way and is harvested second. As it is inclined to abundant growth, it is hard work in the vineyard and bunch thinning is extensive. 

Around 60% of Hommage was planted in 1998, the remaining 40% in 1999. It is almost entirely clone G5V15, with a few rows of MV6. Clone G5V15, which is used extensively in the New World, came to Australia from Wadenswil in Switzerland via the University of California at Davis.  It is clearly the best of the first generation clones to be used on the Mornington Peninsula. 

About the winery

Kevin Bell and his wife Tricia Byrnes established Hurley Vineyard in 1998. Kevin is the winemaker and viticulturist. Tricia is the business manager and all else. The Vineyard is located in the south-eastern lowland hills of the Peninsula in a sub-region formed by Balnarring and Merricks, and wraps around the north-east crest of a little volcanic hill. It's a beautiful terroir for growing Pinot Noir and the 3.43 hectares has three clearly defined climates: Lodestone, Hommage and Garamond. 

Kevin and Tricia shared a love of wine, culture and the natural environment since first meeting in 1978. They visited vineyards and wine-making families and drank good wine wherever they could find it. Gradually Pinot Noir became their favourite grape and their palates went south to cooler climates where the best Australian Pinot Noir is grown and made. After much research and a long search for the right site, they chose the Mornington Peninsula and were drawn to the historic Hurley Farm. 

The Hurley Farm was first established by Irish settlers, William and Johanna Hurley, in 1865. The couple had 11 children in the historic wattle and daub cottage, which they built in 1876 and became the site of Balnarring's first post office and general store. It was derelict in 1998 but has been restored and is now Bell's office. 

Hurley Vineyard was planted in 1998 and 1999 but officially opened in 2001 when Boon Wurrung (the traditional owners of the Mornington Peninsula) ancestral elders performed a traditional 'welcome-to-country'.  This consisted of a 'smoking ceremony' in the winery and the presentation of a gift of leaves from a eucalypt tree. The first harvest followed in 2002. 

In planning for the vineyard, Bell was clear that he wanted a small vineyard, not a hobby farm and decided to focus on one variety and one colour. "I wanted to reinterpret making Pinot Noir in a way that was authentic to our place, yet which paid homage to Burgundy," he recalls.

Bell completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science) at Charles Sturt University in 2011 and drew on a wide circle of fellow pinot noir makers in Australia and Burgundy to perfect his craft. Nat White (Main Ridge) and Phillip Jones (Bass Phillip) helped him develop his understanding of making Pinot Noir, and later, consultant Gary Baldwin taught him the art of assessing wine barrel by barrel.

Bell came to understand Burgundian techniques by inviting Jean-Marie Fourrier to Balnarring and then visiting him at Gevrey Chambertin in the Côte-d’Or. The latter enabled him to work with equipment that was not available in Australia, and come to understand destemming, cold soaking, using wild yeast with no additions and oxidative pressing using a basket press – all now part of the operation at Hurley.  

"Kevin Bell is an extraordinary man who brings his intelligence and empathy to the craft of wine growing. The subtle distinctions  between the three Hurley sites are worthy testament to Bell’s innate talent."  Peter Bourne, Gourmet Wine Magazine