2020 By Farr ‘Irrewarra’ Pinot Noir, Geelong, Australia.
I’d heard of By Farr, but this was my first experience with their wines, and I found this 2020 Irrewarra Pinot Noir nicely charming, balanced and entertaining, especially after some time in the glass with a range of red fruits, delicate florals, a loamy earthiness, mineral tones and a bright spicy character. This wine, traditionally made with all de-stemmed grapes, a gentle maceration and aged in mainly used French oak, shows off a pretty ruby/garnet hue and aromas of geranium and rose petals, red berries, brambles, cola bean and forest floor with a silky cherry led silky medium bodied palate. By Farr Wines, as they note, is a family-owned and operated winery that has been producing wines since 1994. The winery is located in the heart of the Moorabool Valley, where the cool climate and unique terroir, they add, provide the perfect conditions for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Shiraz. The By Farr winemaking philosophy is focused on minimal intervention, allowing the grapes to express a sense of place that is a true reflection of the land and the vintage. An extra dimension of fruit reveals itself with food, but it also needs a less spicy meal to show off its best side. I always love exploring new wines and ever curious, so this By Farr fulfilled an itch to try something different.
The Irrewarra (which means long spear throw in Australia’s ancient Aboriginal language) Vineyard in Geelong is located in the heart of the Western District Farming country, approximately 150 kilometers south-west of Melbourne, in a cool climate region. Irrewarra is surrounded by in land lakes and volcanic plains, with what is said to be a diverse and beautiful landscape that relies on a high amount of natural rainfall throughout the year. The Western plains are quite exposed to the elements which contributes to the vineyard sites mystic, with some chilly breezes that helps make for balanced Pinot Noir.The soils, Farr says, across the slope of the site are a mixture of grey sandy clay loams at the south end to dark brown loams with fragments of buckshot and quartz gravels towards the north, all with underlying brown to yellow clays, which adds to the complexity. The growing season in Southern Australia in 2020 was not an easy one, with lots of areas affected by smoke taint from the every present bush fires, but I didn’t see anything here in this By Far Irrewarra to signal any such problem and day two brought even more pleasure. This wine has lots to admire, even though the price is somewhat high, especially with the quality of wines you find in this price point. I maybe not buy another bottle of this exact wine and vintage, but I will keep an eye out for some other of Br Farr offerings in the future.
($49 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive