Mulline


— Portfolio —

ROSE 2022
Bottle Shot

A blend of 85% Shiraz and 15% Pinot Noir from the Moorabool Valley.
Whole Bunch Pressed direct to old Puncheon for a cool fermentation before sitting on full lees for 3 months.  Was blended and rested in tank before being bottled end of June 2022.

SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022
Bottle Shot

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

PINOT GRIS 2023
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Pinot Gris sourced from the subregion of Curlewis on the Bellarine Peninsula. The wine is made from 3 differing fermentations, approximately one third of each style. The first parcel is settled, then racked off gross lees and tank fermented, a ’traditional ferment’ if you will. Second parcel is fermented on full lees/solids, wild fermented with lots of lees stirring. Final ferment is on skins, one to two punch downs each day for 7 days. All tank, no oak elevage.

PINOT NOIR 2023
Bottle Shot

100% Pinot Noir sourced from multiple sites and all three sub-regions of Geelong harvested between the 15^th of March and 3^rd of April 2023.  All blocks were treated separately in the winery before being put to old and new barriques and puncheons.  The final blend is made up of 5 clones (MV6, Abel, 777, 114 & D2V5), 10% Whole Bunch and 15% new oak.  The wine was then blended and bottled the end of August 2023.

SUTHERLANDS CREEK FUME BLANC 2022
Bottle Shot

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.

“The 2022 Sutherlands Creek Fumé Blanc smells like banoffee pie. (I haven’t made this classic in ages!) Perhaps that’s the influence of the 30% new Austrian oak here. Anyhow, the nose has aromas of grilled banana, caramel, leafy herbs (this is where we leave the banoffee pie situation), snow peas, asparagus and gooseberry. There’s a pungency to the fruit that is interesting, as it is embedded in the oak characters and lighter on the palate than the aromas would suggest. An altogether interesting wine, that, when tasted beside the other Fumé Blanc, helps it to appear really quite distinct. As it opens up, some cassis and juniper help it along its way. I’d almost suggest a quick decant! 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.” – 91 Points – Erin Larkin – The Wine Advocate

SUTHERLANDS CREEK CHARDONNAY 2022
Bottle Shot

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

“The 2022 Sutherlands Creek Chardonnay is composed and svelte, with layers of orchard fruit, steely acidity and sleek phenolics. Quite a rich wine, opulent even, within the confines of the very modest alcohol. Classy. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.” – 93 Points – Erin Larkin – The Wine Advocate

SUTHERLANDS CREEK CHARDONNAY 2021
Bottle Shot

Warmer and drier site than Portarlington, lot’s of clay in the subsoil. Planted in 1996, Close planted, low crops from the P58 clone.
Grey and Brown loams on fragmented Granite.

Hand picked, Pressed a little harder than Portarlington, wanting more texture to balance the more fruit weight provided by this site. No pre-ferment racking, pressed straight to barrel, all the lees. Wild ferment. 25% new oak -More lifted spicer oak than Portarlington – Chassin and Damy. 9 months in barrel. No acid adds to the whites in 2021.

PORTARLINGTON CHARDONNAY 2022
Bottle Shot

This vineyard is literally within one kilometre of the coastline, with a direct line of sight right over the water. Sourced from the north part of this vineyard, right next to the ocean. Planted in 1994, Old sparkling clone – IVI10. Sandy loam over limestone.

No pre-ferment racking, pressed straight to barrel, all the lees. Wild ferment, fermented in barrique from Mercurey, 20% new. No Malolactic. Elevage on full solids for 9 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

“The 2022 Portarlington Chardonnay is rich and spicy, with tobacco leaf, resin, lemongrass, tatami mat and brine. It’s all about green olive tapenade in the mouth. It’s loaded with flavor, terse acidity and long, spooling length of flavor. This is a big wine and a goodie. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.” – 93 Points – Erin Larkin – The Wine Advocate

SUTHERLANDS CREEK PINOT NOIR 2022
Bottle Shot

Pinot Noir, mix of 5 different clones planted in 1998 from the warmer, drier Sutherland Creek vineyard in the Moorabool sub region. 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

PORTARLINGTON PINOT NOIR 2022
Bottle Shot

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

DRYSDALE PINOT NOIR 2021
Bottle Shot

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. NV6 Clone Pinot Noir. 50% whole bunch, 1/3 new oak, Chassin cooper. Darker, fruit forward part of Peninsula, hence the larger percentage of wholebunch Ben likes to apply.

SUTHERLANDS CREEK SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 2022
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