Bicknell FC is the small, family label of Dave Bicknell (long-time chief winemaker at Oakridge) and his partner Nicky Harris, focused solely on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. The 2024 Applecross Pinot Noir marks a new chapter for the label, with fruit now sourced from the historic former Lance family vineyard at St Andrews.
This is a blend from three blocks of MV6 and c777 plantings dating from 1976, 1998 and 2003, a site with serious pedigree in Yarra Valley Pinot Noir. In the glass it's bright, perfumed and medium-bodied, with red cherry, alpine strawberry, dried herbs, graphite and a subtle floral lift, carried on the fine, 'al dente' tannins and bright acidity that have become a hallmark of the label.
Hand-picked in early March, the fruit was fermented with around 20% whole bunches and 80% whole berries. After two weeks on skins it was pressed to a mix of older French oak (puncheons, hogsheads and barriques), where it completed malolactic fermentation and spent 11 months on fine lees before bottling. 13.4% ABV, under screwcap.
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