At this time the Peninsula was rapidly expanding, establishing itself as a premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape-growing region of Australia. Both these varieties were suited to this cool maritime climate. The Aylwards were inspired to develop a second site, specifically selected for its potential to produce top quality fruit. Wine released under the Kooyong label comes exclusively from this site.

The year 1998, plans for a large and modern winery were devised and construction began. Chris Aylward's experience as a property developer with the Grollo brothers helped erect an impressive winery for Kooyong's operations. State of the art equipment was installed to give the winemaking team the best possible opportunity in processing, fermenting and storing top quality wine.

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 Mornington Peninsula is 60km South-East of Melbourne, Victoria in Australia. The peninsula features an undulating ridge system, which receives considerable rainfall throughout the year. The soils vary from rich red clays, to lighter sandy loams depending on location

Kooyong's location was selected specifically to suit production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grape varieties. Many vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula struggle with excessive canopy production due to the rich fertile soils. This is often translated in the wine as 'green' or lacking body.

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 Mornington 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 us to administer water 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.

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)

Reviews

Divine Food & Wine Nov-Jan 2003
2000 Pinot Noir
This wine is not for the faint-hearted. For many Australians Pinot drinkers it will seem to be the opposite of what they expect pinot to be because it doesn't' fit in to the lighter, less structured cherry cola style wines that seem to be the norm. Sadly, too many Australian pinots are choked full of sweet fruit while low in tannins. The Kooyong reminds me of ripe Pommard. Toasty oak wraps around a core of ripe, black cherry fruit, backed up by plenty of strong, fine earthy tannins. A richly structured and intense wine, that simply needs more time for all the pieces to come together. And when they do, it will be a force to be reckoned with.

All these flavours and more comprise the palate which, although rich, never threatens to overwhelm. Other flavours like peach; nectarine and some straw like characters put in an appearance once the wine is in your mouth. There is a thick creamy texture yet the finish is dry and crisp with plenty of acid. With this structure at the finish the wine should keep for several years although it is drinking superbly right now.

There is fruit, wood and the secondary flavours. The fruit is black cherries with a hint of plums, and very juicy with the wood being spicy and toasty vanilla, whilst the secondary flavours see earthy and compost aromas adding depth.

Once inside the mouth the wine's intensity is immediately apparent. The fruit and oak are more powerful than the secondary flavours which will develop with further bottle age. The finish is long with acid intermingling with firm ripe tannin.

“Strong red-purple, holding its hue well; sultry dark plum and forest aromas provide a replay on the powerful, long and complex palate which avoids over-extraction. An impressive wine with further development potential.”
94pts – James Halliday Wine Companion 2002

“This wine is not for the faint-hearted. For many Australians Pinot drinkers it will seem to be the opposite of what they expect pinot to be because it doesn't' fit in to the lighter, less structured cherry cola style wines that seem to be the norm. Sadly, too many Australian pinots are choked full of sweet fruit while low in tannins. The Kooyong reminds me of ripe Pommard. Toasty oak wraps around a core of ripe, black cherry fruit, backed up by plenty of strong, fine earthy tannins. A richly structured and intense wine, that simply needs more time for all the pieces to come together. And when they do, it will be a force to be reckoned with.”
Divine Food & Wine: Nov-Jan 2003

“This Mornington Pinot Noir has plenty of colour and varietal punch. It shows a strong red fruits character, and is quite firmly structured, flashing some new oak at the moment. Highly Recommended”
WineWise: November 2002

There is great concentration of flavours on the palate with the fruit very much to the fore whilst the wine is youthful. The earthy notes are still very important to the composition of the wine and come through strongly in the aftertaste. Acid, combined with some soft tannin provides the structure and will give the wine some longevity in the cellar

“In Masterclass today, I've gone for the Kooyong 2001 Pinot Noir. Sure it's the current vintage but more importantly, it's the pinot Mosele (winemaker) is, to date, the happiest about. That's saying something because the 1999 and 2000 vintages were impressive, well-structured wines. The 2001 Pinot Noir is even better and for the price, is currently my Pinot of choice.”………… “It's ruby-red and looking great, and to smell, there are wonderful aromas – gamey notes, a touch of cherry spicy-oak with hints of cinnamon and white pepper and savoury characteristics that don't disappoint in the mouth either. The palate is rich, finishes long and it's almost chewy, making it a bloody good food wine.”
Wine Masterclass: Jane Faulkner. The Age, Sept 2003

This is a very intense wine. There are mushrooms, plenty of earthy and mineral notes with some extra interest added with some sulphide characters wafting in and out to make this a very deep rich wine.

Light gold in colour the bouquet is filled with orange peel and floral scents as well as marzipan overlayed with a touch of honey. It is very complex with several layers of flavour yet it has very little of the more obvious characteristics of Australian Chardonnay.

There is plenty of plump ripe fruit on the nose here with cherries and plums being the most accurate descriptors. As well as the fruit include some charred oak with some damp earthy characters that make this wine very complex.