Ten Minutes by Tractor


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SPARKLING BLANC DE BLANCS 2019
Bottle Shot

Lower than average rainfall and relatively standard temperatures over winter, and cooler temperatures in August and September, led to late budburst and flowering. However, above average temperatures and low rainfall during summer meant an early veraison and harvest. The period between flowering and veraison saw our warmest ever average minimum and second warmest maximums. Veraison to harvest was our fourth warmest maximums and our driest. Five days of above average temperatures at the beginning of harvest compressed the vintage further. Yields are normal and fruit quality is outstanding.

Fruit was whole bunch pressed. 4 months in 5 year old barriques with minimal bâtonnage. Partial malolactic fermentation. The base wine was then assembled and tiraged to bottle after 32 months on lees. The wine was riddled and disgorged and topped with our own liqueur made from back and current vintage wine with a 3g/L dosage. Disgorged 9 January 2023.

 

10X ROSE 2023
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This rose displays classic Provence style blush pink colouring. The wine is 100% pinot noir coming from various vineyards across the Mornington Peninsula balancing weight and concentration from lower elevation sites and freshness and minerality coming from cooler Main ridge vineyards.

The fruit is all handpicked and is whole bunch pressed into older barriques for fermentation. A small portion is kept as whole bunches allowing for carbonic maceration that adds a roundness to the palate. The wine undergoes partial malolactic, retaining freshness and verve. A short maturation of 4 months in older French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

10X PINOT GRIS 2023
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Sourced from lower elevation vineyards across the Mornington Peninsula. True to the Ten Minutes by Tractor style, this Pinot Gris is a bright and crisp expression with structure and fresh acidity which provide an excellent backbone for the purity of fruit from this high quality Pinot Gris.

Fruit is all handpicked and sorted before 47% is added as whole bunches which are pressed into concrete vessels where it is fermented at cool temperatures. Ferments are never inoculated and occur naturally, and fluffy lees are retained to add texture and complexity. A small proportion of the fruit underwent skin contact before pressing before being transferred to concrete for fermentation. The wine is matured for 4 months in a mixture of concrete and older French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

 

10X BARREL FERMENTED SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022
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The 2022 season started with a very wet and variable spring, resulting in poor flowering, small bunches and reduced yields across many sites. However, the exceptional summer and autumn months to follow provided perfect ripening conditions that generated great concentration and striking flavours across all varieties. Whole bunch pressed to tank, racked taking light fluffly lees to barrel for natural fermentation. 5 months in barrel with bâtonnage twice a week. The wine was then blended in stainless steel tank where it underwent natural partial malolactic fermentation before being filtered and bottled.

 

10X CHARDONNAY 2023
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A blend of different vineyards across the Mornington Peninsula, allowing for a balanced wine. The 10x chardonnay is always approachable in style with great fruit expression and subtle spice. Shorter maturation time and lighter use of oak give a fresh and softer style of chardonnay with loads of character and drive.

The cooler vintage saw the use of more fruit from their warmer sites, with most of the fruit sourced from Hunts Road and the Mills Vineyard. The fruit is all handpicked and hand sorted before being whole bunch pressed into large format oak for wild yeast ferment. The wine is matured in oak (11% New) for 5 months with occasional lees stirring to add richness and body.

 

10X PINOT NOIR 2023
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Affordable yet high quality Pinot Noir from the Mornington? I know there’s something wrong in the maths. But Martin Spedding’s passion to continue to make the 10X range with as much care as the Estate and Single Vineyard sites receive is a reflection on his attention to detail in all things 10 Minutes by Tractor.

Sourced from multiple vineyard sites across the Mornington Peninsula with most of the fruit coming from the Coolart Road vineyard near Balnarring which sits at low elevations. These warmer sites give ripe and full flavoured fruit, a key element of the 10x pinot noir. The wine showcases a darker fruit profile and silky tannins allowing for an easy drinking style of pinot noir.

The fruit is all handpicked and hand sorted. The Wine has A 3–5-day cold soak to allow for deep colouring before natural fermentation on skins for 18-21 days. Fermentation occurs in concrete, stainless steel and oak fermenters and there is a small inclusion of some whole bunches across varying parcels. Once the ferment is complete the wine is lightly pressed off and then matured for 5 months in Oak vessels (10% New).

 

ESTATE RIESLING 2023
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Sourced from friends of the estate, George and Ruth’s Paradigm Hill Vineyard in Merrick’s. Riesling is sparsely planted across the Mornington Peninsula and when the estate got the opportunity to work with this amazing varietal they didn’t hesitate. The cool climate across Mornington allows for intensely aromatic Riesling with lots of texture and power.

The Riesling is all handpicked then chilled before whole bunch pressing into tank before the juice is carefully racked into Italian concrete fermenters for natural fermentation. Temperatures are kept low for ferment to retain delicate fruit and floral aromas. Consistent tasting of the ferment to check for balance, once the acidity and sugar achieve harmony the ferment is stopped leaving approximately 5 grams per litre of residual sugar. The wine matures for 2 months in a concrete vessel before being bottled.

 

ESTATE CHARDONNAY 2022
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The 2022 Estate chardonnay exhibits great concentration and striking flavours which developed effortlessly from the 2022 vintage. The vintage had a cool start with wet conditions which saw small bunches develop across the vineyards. A mild summer and autumn provided a long season allowing the development of great intensity and complexity of flavours.

Each parcel of fruit was hand-picked and sorted before being whole bunch pressed into a combination of older and new oak barrels for wild fermentation. Malolactic was sporadic across individual barrels and blending of these parcels gave a beautiful balance within the wine. Maturation in oak barrels (18% New) for 10 months before bottling.

 

ESTATE ‘DOWN THE HILL’ PINOT NOIR 2022
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The 2022 ‘Down the Hill’ Pinot Noir is selected from both Coolart Road and Paradigm Hill. Both vineyards are situated at lower elevations on the Mornington Peninsula and are the earliest to ripen of all the estate’s vineyards. These earlier ripening sites often give darker colour, fuller flavour and firmer tannins than those vineyards at higher elevations.

The fruit is hand sorted and mostly destemmed, a small proportion of whole bunches are added to give savoury complexity. Ferment lasts between 18-24 days in concrete, stainless steel and oak vessels. Maturation is completed in oak barriques and puncheons for 8 months with 20% new oak used.

 

ESTATE ‘UP THE HILL’ PINOT NOIR 2022
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The 2022 ‘Up the Hill’ Estate Pinot Noir is sourced from the estates Main ridge and Red Hill vineyard sites; Judd, Wallis, McCutcheon and Spedding. These vineyards are all situated on higher elevations from 125m to 206m above sea level resulting in fruit that is pure and delicate, creating a refined and elegant style of Pinot Noir.

The fruit for this wine is all handpicked and sorted upon arrival at the winery. Each parcel was cold soaked to allow for maximum colour extraction before wild fermentation begins. Fermentation occurs in both stainless steel and concrete vessels, to add textural complexity. Once completed the wine is pressed off and matured in oak vessels (15% New) for 8 months. Oak vessels are both barrique and puncheon sizes.

 

The Wallis Vineyard was first planted in 1992 by the Wallis family, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It sits between 110 and 142 metres and whilst considered a part of the ‘Up the Hill’ vineyards Ten Minutes by Tractor bottle as single site expressions it’s the first one you reach as you climb in altitude.

All fruit was handpicked and whole bunch pressed into small and large format oak for wild yeast fermentation. Malolactic ensued naturally and reached 68%. The wine matured for 10 months in larger oak puncheons with 25% new oak.

Low yields is definitely the flavour of the 2022 vintage thus the 2022 Wallis Vineyard Chardonnay offers great generosity and power. Low yields of smaller bunches equal great concentration.

The 2022 Wallis Chardonnay exhibits exotic spice and floral notes with hints of oyster shell and cumquat. An alluring wine with linear acidity and great complexity.

 

A wet spring with moderate temperatures resulted in good healthy canopies with lower than average yields across all our vineyards. Higher than average rainfall and moderate temperatures over the summer, together with some dry spells, resulted in slow ripening and concentration of flavour and good acidity. This vintage has produced some wonderful wines with great concentration and fine detail.

Handpicked and hand sorted before a gentle whole bunch press. The juice was settled in stainless steel for 24 hours before being racked to barrel, taking the light fluffy lees as well, and a wild fermentation.

The malolactic fermentation was natural and each barrel stopped, based on taste and balance. After 10 months, individual barrels and components were carefully selected (20% new oak) before being blended and filtered into bottle.

“Bright light to medium depth yellow colour, the bouquet wonderfully detailed with several variations on citrus, especially lemon and grapefruit, plus hints of beeswax and lightly toasted hazelnuts. Oak is seamlessly integrated. In the mouth, very intense and yet refined and light on its feet, with refreshing properties and tremendous persistence. A great chardonnay. (50% Spedding vineyard, 33% McCutcheon, 17% Judd. 20% new oak)” – 98 Points – Huon Hooke – The Real Review

 

COOLART ROAD PINOT NOIR 2022
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The Coolart Road vineyard is the warmest site of the Ten Minutes By Tractor single vineyard wines, regularly ripening up to 4 weeks earlier than Judd and McCutcheon up in Main Ridge. Planted in 2000. 100% Pinot Noir. The combination of the warmer micro climate and deeper soils further down the hill gives a this wine it’s signature dark cherry fruit and exotic spice tones.

This Pinot Noir is always a careful selection from what they consider are the best blocks in the Coolart Road vineyard. The 2022 vintage utilises the finesse and poise from F block in the upper section of the Vineyard.

Handpicked fruit is sorted manually and individual parcels receive a 5-day cold soak before wild yeast fermentation. Both concrete and stainless steel are used. The wine is aged for 8 months in a range of oak vessels, 26% new (600L).

 

JUDD PINOT NOIR 2022
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The Judd Pinot Noir block sits on the lower elevation side of the vineyard allowing for maximum ripeness, the West facing vineyard receives great sunlight throughout the afternoon until sunset and radiates that heat back into the vines throughout the evening.

The 2022 Judd Pinot Noir is quintessential Main Ridge with ripe berry fruit with a detailed palate of savoury spice and earth.

Fruit was handpicked and sorted before cold soaking for 5 days to maximise colour extraction. Fermentation using wild yeast lasted for 14 days on skins before a gentle pressing. The wine matured for 8 months in 15% new oak in both large and smaller format barrels.

 

MCCUTCHEON PINOT NOIR 2022
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The McCutcheon Vineyard is situated in Main ridge at an elevation of 180m to 200m. The Vineyard is east facing and attracts the beautiful morning sun, kickstarting the ripening early in the day. The afternoons are cooler allowing gentle ripening and the retention of refreshing acidity.

The 2022 McCutcheon Pinot Noir was handpicked and destemmed before wild fermentation for 14 days in both concrete and stainless-steel fermenters with gentle cap management to allow for light tannin extraction. The wine is pressed off lightly and matures in 25% new oak for 8 months before bottling.

 

WALLIS PINOT NOIR 2022
Bottle Shot

The Wallis Vineyard was first planted in 1992 by the Wallis family, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It sits between 110 and 142 metres and whilst considered a part of the ‘Up the Hill’ vineyards Ten Minutes by Tractor bottle as single site expressions it’s the first one you reach as you climb in altitude.

The 2022 Wallis Pinot Noir is hand-picked from individually selected vineyard blocks within the single vineyard plantings.

The MV6 parcel is fermented in Italian concrete fermenters. Clone 115 remained in Stainless steel. Maturation for 9 months in 18% new French oak. The separate parcels are then blended post maturation.

The 2022 Wallis Pinot Noir has a dark and alluring nose with red cherry, plum and violets.

Silky firm tannins provide structure for the intensity of flavours, presenting Blackcurrant, cherry and dried rose petal.

 

TRAHERE PINOT NOIR 2021
Bottle Shot

A wet spring with moderate temperatures resulted in good healthy canopies with lower than average yields across all our vineyards. Higher than average rainfall and moderate temperatures over the summer, together with some dry spells, resulted in slow ripening and concentration of flavour and good acidity. This vintage has produced some wonderful wines with great concentration and fine detail.

The fruit was handpicked, chilled and sorted carefully on our sorting table before being fermented with indigenous yeasts on skins for 17 days. After pressing, the wine was transferred to barrel where it was aged for 13 months using 22% new French oak before undergoing a natural malolactic fermentation. The wine was then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

“Medium depth of bright ruby colour with a tinge of purple; the bouquet very fragrant, lifted and fresh, with red cherry, strawberry and raspberry aromas and a lick of five-spice, plus a layer of autumn leaves/forest-floor/pot-pourri. A pristine wine in a delicate, highly detailed, filigreed style, ethereal and texturally refined, and quite beautiful. (50% high-density Gabrielle vineyard, 50% Judd and McCutcheon vineyards, 22% new oak)” – 97 Points – Huon Hooke – The Real Review

 

HEATHCOTE SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 2022
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Sourced from the Merindoc Vineyard in the cooler foothills of the Heathcote region. The inclusion of viognier adds aromatic lift and intensity to the shiraz which exhibits power and depth of flavour.

The shiraz was all handpicked then divided into two parcels, the fruit was transferred into stainless steel.  The first ferment included 30% whole bunches and the second was co-fermented with viognier. Wine was kept on skins for 14 days before pressed into a mix of older and new French oak barriques where the wine remained for 13 months before bottling.