Pooley Cooinda Vale Pinot Noir 2023

The 2023 growing season began with budburst in September and continued with a challenging flowering period in November, marked by wind and rain. Between October and December, both of Pooley’s vineyard sites experienced 230mm of rainfall, leading to poor fruit set and reduced yields. However, the weather shifted by late December, moving from La Niña to a drier, warmer El Niño pattern. The mild summer that followed was ideal for the steady and slow development of flavour, acidity, sugar, and tannins, resulting in excellent wine quality.

Cooinda Vale Vineyard, established in 1985 by Pooley’s founders, sits between 80 and 100 metres above sea level, nestled in the hills north of Campania. This location is more continental, with greater temperature extremes and more frequent frosts, snow, and heatwaves. The vineyard’s grey-brown sandy loam over clay subsoil adds moderate vine stress, limiting deep root growth and water access. In return, the site produces delicate, fine wines with incredible nuance.