Elanto Offer
I’m not sure I have ever seen anything quite like the new Elanto vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula… it’s abundantly clear that something extraordinary is in the works here. CAMPBELL MATTINSON
It’s been a while.
Been a while since we’ve heard from star winemaker, Sandro Mosele – think Kooyong and numerous other projects that have yielded some of Australia’s best wines. But, after a sabbatical of sorts which included a little importing and distributing, he’s back, and back in a big way with one of the most fascinating, unique and possibly ground-breaking pinot noir and chardonnay projects to appear on the Australian/Mornington landscape in years, maybe ever.
It's called Elanto (no need to remember the name, you’re gonna keep hearing it into the future) and it’s one of those wine projects that makes you wince a little for the key players – Tony and Elaine Tolanto and Mosele. Wince, because the ambition and uncompromising approach, particularly in the vineyard, doesn’t come cheap. It’s the kind of expensive that gives rise to the old joke – how do you make a small fortune in the wine industry; start out with a large fortune!
But, wow, I’m glad there are people with the courage to go to these ends to achieve something great, to set a new benchmark. It’s early days, but after tasting the first two wines – chardonnay and pinot noir – the quality is remarkably high. Dial into the equation that these first two releases are off 4 year-old vines, and the excitement levels for the future of the project get turned up to eleven.
The key to Elanto, and the thing that has got Mosele so excited, is that it’s the practical expression of his learnings throughout his winemaking life. Most importantly, it gives life to his strongly held belief that only through high-density planting, can he achieve the greatest intensity of expression for pinot noir and chardonnay. Hard to argue the point when confronted by the wines.
To that end the Balnarring property was planned and planted by the guru of close-planting, Tim Brown. It consists of eight unique vineyards; all planted to their different attributes; be it aspect, soil depth, soil structure or weight, all planted to a density of approx. 11,000 vines per hectare or, approximately four times the usual density for a conventional Australian vineyard.
The approach increases competition for nutrients and makes the roots dives deeper to find food. Lower yields are also a by-product (approx. 35 hectolitres per hectare), but the intensity of the fruit is the payoff. All this requires a different set of machinery and speciaity tractors have been imported from France to work the narrow rows.
It’s not like high density hasn’t happened in Australia before – By Farr, Serrat, Bindi and Place of Changing Winds come to mind – but for most the extra level of work and reduced yields is too much to contemplate. That’s why, a new project of this scale and on the Mornington Peninsula is so significant.
Anyway, my job is to tell you whether the wines stack up or not. I may have probably blown the punchline already on that score. Yes, they’re excellent and some of the better wines put before us this year off the Peninsula or anywhere for those two varieties.
The chardonnay is very high quality and I recommend it but it was the pinot that got the heart racing a little. It’s the wine where I think you’re seeing the real potential of what this vineyard is capable of producing.
I’ve listed a few reviews below but I would finish by saying that these wines are superb right now and I would expect the star is only just beginning to rise. Get in on the round floor is my advice.
Cheers
Michael
It’s been a while.
Been a while since we’ve heard from star winemaker, Sandro Mosele – think Kooyong and numerous other projects that have yielded some of Australia’s best wines. But, after a sabbatical of sorts which included a little importing and distributing, he’s back, and back in a big way with one of the most fascinating, unique and possibly ground-breaking pinot noir and chardonnay projects to appear on the Australian/Mornington landscape in years, maybe ever.
It's called Elanto (no need to remember the name, you’re gonna keep hearing it into the future) and it’s one of those wine projects that makes you wince a little for the key players – Tony and Elaine Tolanto and Mosele. Wince, because the ambition and uncompromising approach, particularly in the vineyard, doesn’t come cheap. It’s the kind of expensive that gives rise to the old joke – how do you make a small fortune in the wine industry; start out with a large fortune!
But, wow, I’m glad there are people with the courage to go to these ends to achieve something great, to set a new benchmark. It’s early days, but after tasting the first two wines – chardonnay and pinot noir – the quality is remarkably high. Dial into the equation that these first two releases are off 4 year-old vines, and the excitement levels for the future of the project get turned up to eleven.
The key to Elanto, and the thing that has got Mosele so excited, is that it’s the practical expression of his learnings throughout his winemaking life. Most importantly, it gives life to his strongly held belief that only through high-density planting, can he achieve the greatest intensity of expression for pinot noir and chardonnay. Hard to argue the point when confronted by the wines.
To that end the Balnarring property was planned and planted by the guru of close-planting, Tim Brown. It consists of eight unique vineyards; all planted to their different attributes; be it aspect, soil depth, soil structure or weight, all planted to a density of approx. 11,000 vines per hectare or, approximately four times the usual density for a conventional Australian vineyard.
The approach increases competition for nutrients and makes the roots dives deeper to find food. Lower yields are also a by-product (approx. 35 hectolitres per hectare), but the intensity of the fruit is the payoff. All this requires a different set of machinery and speciaity tractors have been imported from France to work the narrow rows.
It’s not like high density hasn’t happened in Australia before – By Farr, Serrat, Bindi and Place of Changing Winds come to mind – but for most the extra level of work and reduced yields is too much to contemplate. That’s why, a new project of this scale and on the Mornington Peninsula is so significant.
Anyway, my job is to tell you whether the wines stack up or not. I may have probably blown the punchline already on that score. Yes, they’re excellent and some of the better wines put before us this year off the Peninsula or anywhere for those two varieties.
The chardonnay is very high quality and I recommend it but it was the pinot that got the heart racing a little. It’s the wine where I think you’re seeing the real potential of what this vineyard is capable of producing.
I’ve listed a few reviews below but I would finish by saying that these wines are superb right now and I would expect the star is only just beginning to rise. Get in on the round floor is my advice.
Cheers
Michael