Sandro Moselle - Kooyong - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Kooyong Wines - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Sandro Moselle makes complete use of this uniquely positioned, cool climate estate in Australia. Kooyong's winemaker, Sandro Moselle, gained experience while making wine at Rochford, Macedon Victoria and the Green Vineyards in the Yarra Valley with Serge Carlei. He holds a degree in Genetics and has also completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine Science).

Production is TINY and each Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that Sandro makes has its own personality. Kooyong lays claim to 52 acres of Pinot Noir and 27 acres of Chardonnay vines. Kooyong strives for complexity in its wines by exercising 8 different clones of Pinot and 10 clones of Chardonnay. Each clone has its own inherent characteristic. When blended together, they give the wine its many flavors and textures.

The sandy base of Kooyong's terroir helps reduce this vigor. Even so, Kooyong uses a variety of canopy management techniques to ensure high quality, concentrated grape production. Some of these include shoot thinning and fruit dropping. Kooyong is situated on the Moorooduc flats of the Peninsula. The land is slightly graded facing a north direction. The vineyard has been planted with rows running from South to North, which ensures maximum sunlight exposure. The vines are planted using the vertical shoot position (VSP) trellising system. The vines have been spaced out to reduce shading and increase fruit exposure to sunlight.

Kooyong is well equipped with an advanced irrigation system. This allows water to be administered to each vine depending on the stress levels expressed by the vines. Kooyong's site receives less rainfall per annum than surrounding vineyards on the Mornington ridge system. The use of an irrigation network enables a high degree of control over the development of both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines.