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NEW TO PORTFOLIO – MULLINE WINES
GEELONG | AUSTRALIA NEW TO PORTFOLIO
THE ESTATE
Mulline is the creation of two Ben’s, Mullen and Hine who set out to showcase exciting single site expressions from the Geelong region with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at the centre of this. Ben Mullen heads up the winemaking and prior to setting up Mulline cut his teeth at the likes of Domaine Dujac, Yarra Yering, Oakridge, Leeuwin Estate, Torbreck & Craggy Range before returning to deep dive into the diversity of Geelong’s terrior whilst at Clyde Park.
Geelong geographically is a large GI and has a lot of diversity in both soil and climate, evident in Mulline’s single vineyard wines. From the ‘by the sea’ Portarlington vineyard east of the Geelong CBD exposed to Port Phillip Bay to the warmer clay dominant Sutherland Creek vineyard North West towards Ballarat.
THE WINEMAKING
Mulline currently make all the wines in a shared winery as they continue to look for a suitable site to establish their own winery in years to come. In terms of the production over 70% is Pinot Noir with the remaining including their single site Chardonnay bottlings, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris.
Wild fermentation on all the wines.
WHITE – With their white wines they use a lot of solids, not racking/settling post pressing, it all goes into the barrels. Also important to know that apart from a portion of the regional Sauvignon Blanc bottling the whites don’t see any malolactic.
THE WINES
Sauvignon Blanc 2020
This wine is sourced from two vineyards. 70% from a Baie vineyard in Curlewis on the Bellarine Peninsula and 30% from the Sutherlands Creek site in the Moorabool Valley. Key element of this wine is that the larger parcel of the wine from the Bellarine is a full barrel ferment (all old wood) on full solids (no pre ferment settling) and goes through full malo. The Moorabool parcel sees 18 hours on skins then fermented in barrel but with no malolactic.“I love building this wine between two of the sub-regions of Geelong for their vast difference in aromatics, texture and varietal characteristics. Bellarine Sauvignon is all about acid line, green herb/tropical feijoa notes and freshness where the Moorabool valley Sauvignon is more citrus pith, bit more weight and texture and spice”- Ben Mullen
Sutherlands Creek Fume Blanc 2020
Fan’s of Bordeaux Blanc, vintages of Domaine A Lady A and textured Sauvignon Blanc’s look no further, this is a wonderful expression of this style. Bordeaux clone of Sauvignon Blanc. Soils of Grey and Brown Loam with Fragmented Granite. Hand picked, foot stomped and left for 18 hours on skins.Then pressed into barrel of which 30% is new oak from Austria, the rest in seasoned French oak. Wild ferment on full solids but no less stirring, sulphured after primary fermentation to prevent malolactic, 8 months elevage. Ben highlighted his appreciation of Austrian oak – low toast, very tight grain, doesn’t soak as much wine as French, subtle, keeping aromatics.
Portarlington Chardonnay 2020
Sourced from the North part of this vineyard, right next to the ocean. Literally the vines are within one kilometre of the coastline. Planted in 1994. Sandy loam, limestone. All wild ferment, fermented in Stockinger hogs heads, 2 years old. No Malolactic. Elevage on full solids for 8 months.“This site is all about citrus peel, sea spray and minerality. More savoury complexities from the oak use, texture and some cinnamon spice. All about acid line, giving length and freshness to the palate. Always a wine that takes a lot longer to come into itself so will benefit with some time in bottle but a different expression of Geelong chardonnay. Such a different expression of Geelong Chardonnay” – Ben Mullen
Sutherlands Creek Chardonnay 2020
Warmer and drier site than Portarlington, lot’s of clay in the subsoil. Grey and Brown loams on Fragmented Granite. Planted in 1998. Hand picked, pressed straight to barrel, no pre ferment racking. 30% new French Oak, full solids, No malolactic, Elevage on full solids for 8 months.“This cuvee is more ‘traditional’ in the style of Geelong Chardonnay. Fruit profile very similar to other producers nearby. Bit more oak use, which helps tone down the fruit profile. P58 Clone which is all Nectarines and Melon Rind. The Chardonnays are made very reductively, so trying to keep them as fresh as possible, and not let them blow out to be too overdone. We get so much flavour already in the wines, so this is all about building texture, tension and complexity with acid/oak/lees”- Ben Mullen
Portarlington Pinot Noir 2020
100% NV6 clone planted in the Nurringa Park vineyard, a little further back from the ocean than the Chardonnay block but still heavily maritime influenced. Sandy loam, dark clay and Limestone. 50% whole-bunch ferment then pressed off to barrel, 30% new oak, 9 months elevage. Ben points out that this site gives more density, opposite to what it gives the Chardonnay block.“The brightest and most aromatic Pinot Noir of the range. More whole bunches normally trying to build some cab-mac aromatics into the blend.Oak use is more subtle, using a lighter toast barrel and more savoury in the profile. The site has been the first to be picked since we have been getting the fruit, and normally larger bunches. The site also gets a lot more rain than the Sutherlands Creek and Drysdale sites, due to how close it is to the water” – Ben Mullen
Sutherlands Creek Pinot Noir 2020
Pinot Noir, mix of 5 different clones planted in 1998 from the warmer, drier Sutherland Creek vineyard in the Moorabool subregion. Grey & Brown loams with fragmented Granite. 30% whole-bunch. 8 to 10 days on skins during ferment, then pressed off to barrel. 8 months elevage in barrel, 20% new oak.“My favourite block of Pinot Noir that comes into the winery and there is nothing else like it in Geelong. Interplanted clones, and hard to determine exactly what they are as the owners don’t even know, but majority of MV6 from working with this site for 5 years now. I think this makes the most exciting Pinot in the range. Always higher acid, and really aromatic. I find 25-30% Whole Bunch on this block has worked the best and with looking at the fruit that comes off this site every year it seems to be where it always sits. The most delicate Pinot and showcases the site perfectly. Close planted and always has a very long ripening period, which gives such delicate and fine tannin, and great fruit complexity. Oak use is very much the spicy/savoury end and medium toast, and very tight grain” – Ben Mullen
Drysdale Pinot Noir 2020
In the middle of the Peninsula so a lot more sheltered than the Portarlington site but still maritime climate. Sandy loam over lots of yellow light clay and rock in the soil in this site. 25% whole-bunch. 50% second use oak. Rest in old oak. 9 months in barrel. Spice notes, I wrote notes of Fig rolls, tartness. Dark cherry, five spice.“This is the darker toned Pinot of the range. Broody, and more darker toned fruit from this site. Oak use is more sweeter toned and more spice. First release of this wine, and being a site that is managed by another winery will always be a smaller make. Was a surprise when getting the grapes into the winery, small bunches, whole bunch works well on the blend and is very forward with its tannins and fruit profile” – Ben Mullen