Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Pinot Meunier 2021

The Seppelt Drumborg Vineyard Pinot Meunier is sourced exclusively from the prized Drumborg Vineyard in Victoria's Henty region, and is part of Seppelt's iconic Drumborg vineyard range. Pinot Meunier was first planted at Drumborg vineyard in 1966, originally intended for use in our sparkling wine. The sheer age of the vines means they have reached the level of maturity required to produce wonderful table wine. Seppelt Drumborg vineyard Pinot Meunier is a unique example of this variety and is amongst only a handful of wines made in this fashion in Australia.

"We love us a good Meunier. The perfumed introduction here is quite something. This is beautifully scented. Forest berries and florals with earth notes and herbs. Lots to appreciate and admire. The palate follows suit, light and mouthwatering but with enough there, complexity aplenty without it feeling forced or clumsy. Not sweet. Ripe but undergrowth-y. It is a most appealing wine."  Campbell Mattinson

"The fruit was destemmed into a small open fermenter with a proportion of whole bunches included. Six days fermentation on skins was followed by 9 months maturation on lees with the majority in 225L Seasoned French oak – 10% new oak overall. 

The heady aromas of strawberry compote and sweet spice are balanced by savoury charcuterie, gunflint and truffle notes, creating an intriguing balance. Juicy redcurrant, sour cherry and violets balance with fine, grainy tannins that work to create a delicate structural framework. Subtle, well integrated oak and gunflint add depth and complexity."  Seppelt

Expert reviews

"Pinot meunier is so easily hurt in the vinification process, seeking more colour, more body, but none of that has impinged on this perfumed wine. Violets, red and blue scents are folded into a gently spicy/savoury palate, whole bunches in the ferment just so. Drink by 2030."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points

"From some of the oldest pinot meunier vines in Australia comes this refined and complex example of this often undervalued variety beautifully tailored by Clare Dry. The superb 2021 vintage is on show thanks to generous, upfront and impactful fruit flavours with a delightful mix of red cherry, raspberry and cranberry fruits, with a delicious little herbal, pine lift accompanied by well integrated French oak. It's more delicately framed than the Drumborg Pinot Noir but delivers fantastic purity of fruit, balance and drinkability with satin tannins, bright, energetic yet understated fruit flavours leading to a long, floral and spice scented finish. A must have if you want to see what great pinot meunier is all about. Drink: 2022 - 2030."  Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot - 92 points

"We love us a good Meunier. The perfumed introduction here is quite something. This is beautifully scented. Forest berries and florals with earth notes and herbs. Lots to appreciate and admire. The palate follows suit, light and mouthwatering but with enough there, complexity aplenty without it feeling forced or clumsy. Not sweet. Ripe but undergrowth-y. It is a most appealing wine. Drink : 2023 - 2026+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 92 points

Drumborg vineyard

The Drumborg range of wines are sourced exclusively from the prized Drumborg Vineyard in Victoria's Henty region, one of Australia's leading cool climate regions and southern-most vineyard in mainland Australia. Riesling was the first variety planted at Drumborg in 1964 by Karl Seppelt. The vineyard is swept by icy winds from the Southern Ocean and produces wines that are renowned for their fruit purity, structure and intensity of flavor.

"The half-century-old vineyard has been described as remarkable, even mystical, regarding its capacity to produce wines of incredible beauty despite the rugged, challenging and sometimes precarious, nature of the climate.

Blustering winds from the southern Indian Ocean and long, wet winters are not what springs to mind when selecting new vineyard land. But that is precisely what was chosen by the Seppelts. Third-generation family member Karl Seppelt graduated from Roseworthy and began managing the vineyards at the family winery in South Australia. B Seppelt & Sons were well known for their fortified wines, however, the market of the day was changing and there was a new need for table wine grapes.

Fortunately, B Seppelt & Sons owned a winery at Great Western in Victoria, and a gently undulating 190ha land parcel was purchased in 1964 at Drumborg, 200km from the winery. It was cooler and had more rain than Great Western, and its southerly aspect exposed it to the full weight of the south-westerly weather fronts. There were, unsurprisingly, no other vineyards around. One suspects that the Great Western winery's focus on sparkling wines was a factor in choosing such a cool site. That said, the Seppelts were well before their time, embarking on cool-climate viticulture before it was fashionable.

Drumborg is now one of a handful of vineyards in the region known as Henty. There are many different varieties planted at the site, including chardonnay and pinot noir, though riesling was the first variety planted. The original clone is unknown though it is suspected to be GM198 imported from Geisenheim."  

Seppelt vineyard manager Larry Sadler, who has worked on the block for a quarter of a century, takes his custodianship of the vineyard very seriously. 'Tasting fruit through the full length of the ripening process is one of the great privileges of managing the Drumborg Vineyard. I taste the grapes from before the birds are interested – when the acid is eye-watering; through the waves of ripening, until the last of the golden-orange berries, left after harvest, have been cleaned from the vines.'

There have been only five vineyard managers since the 1960s, despite the multiple changes of ownership. Before Sadler, Allen McLean – a true storyteller – worked the block for more than 30 years. It's clear that the place gets into one's soul, even if it's whipped there by the wind.

There is a long list of winemakers who have been part of the Drumborg story but none more than Ian McKenzie. Emma Wood, Jo Marsh and Adam Carnaby have been among the recent custodians."  Toni Paterson MW, Gourmet Traveller Wine 

About the winery

Seppelt is one of Australia's most historic wine producers. Few Australian wineries have carved such a distinguished name for both still and sparkling wines. Not only is Seppelt a pioneer of white and red sparkling wine in Australia, but it also crafts some of the country's most collected table wines and has helped pave the way for cool climate styles in Australia.

Seppelt wines capture a diversity of Victorian terroirs. It sources fruit from vineyards situated in the cool Grampians, the Henty Hinterland, Heathcote and Bendigo. Each region offers parcels of unique character and distinctive regional typicity. The backbone of Seppelt's portfolio are the three iconic wines; St Peters Shiraz, Drumborg Riesling and the Show Sparkling Limited Release Shiraz, which is made only in exceptional years. 

The Seppelt Great Western winery traces its history back to 1865 when it was founded by Joseph Best – his brother also notably planted nearby. The vine material was sourced from St Peters Vineyard, which was the region's first vineyard planted just two years earlier in 1863. Best commissioned gold miners to dig the underground tunnels or drives that the winery is famous for. Those drives were expanded by Hans Irvine who purchased the estate after Best's sudden death in 1887 at the age of 57.

Irvine also expanded plantings and employed the ex-winemaker from Pommery, Charles Pierlot. At that time, some sparkling wine was being made locally, but it was Irvine's commitment that established the strong tradition in the region. That included what is often credited as the first Sparkling Burgundy, as it used to be called, made from red grapes, while sparkling whites were made from ondenc (once a common Bordeaux grape but now mainly grown in Gaillac), which has naturally high acidity.

By the early 1900s, there were over 1.6 kilometres of drives for cellaring and Great Western was Australia's largest wine producer. The operation was sold to Benno Seppelt in 1918, who added the family name and expanded the business further.

Fast forward to today and the winery is part of the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio, but the traditions are still very much alive. Winemaker Clare Dry, who spent 13 years crafting wines in South Australia, took over from Adam Carnaby from the 2021 vintage.