In 1988 we planted 8 rows (0.5 hectare) of a “new clone” of Pinot Noir called Mariafield. There was a lot we didn’t know back then regarding Pinot clones and this was not a good decision. The bunches were huge and the wine very ordinary. In 1992 we decided to pull this clone of Pinot Noir out and replant with Chardonnay.
At the time Yalumba’s vine nursery had just started importing the latest clonal selections of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Burgundy known as the Bernard clones. There were approximately 5 clones of chardonnay available and we chose two (96 and 277) that we believed would be the best suited for the site based on the limited information available at the time. We believed this planting was the first on the Mornington Peninsula of these new clones and one of the earliest in Victoria. Today these Bernard clones are often preferred when planting Chardonnay (and Pinot Noir) in Australia.
Over the subsequent years we have observed that these two clones produce wine different to the other two clones (P58 and I10V5) in the vineyard and finally in 2020 decided to tweak the winemaking on this small batch and bottle a small portion separately.
As these are low yielding vines and this is a small block, quantity will always be limited and not produced every year.
Consistent with the first black label Chardonnay we made, this is a more concentrated and powerful style.
