Whisson Lake
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
In 1985, Andrie and Mark Whisson made the fortunate decision to grow and vinify Pinot Noir in the Adelaide Hills highland. Half-way up the very top of Mount Carey, they decided to build their home and small winery and dedicate their passion to this single, most captivating variety. Over years of observing, nurturing and careful adjustments, they tamed the extreme slope, a defining feature of their wines and a driving force in their pursuit of excellence.
Andrie and Mark are standing atop their Mount Carey vineyard, contemplating this season’s soon-to-be crop while I take in the 180-degree view of the Piccadilly Valley expanding below the vertiginous slope. Their synergy is palpable in the way they describe the interplay between their winemaking philosophy and the Piccadilly Valley’s cool climate. They truly complement each other, both in the vineyard and the understated winery adjacent to their house.
Mark’s viticultural methodology strives to improve the health of the vines and the soils, while his somewhat acrobatic aptitude proves to be fundamental in taming the near-45-degree, east-facing hillside rising 615 meters above sea level. In the winery, Andrie’s scientific precision and eye for detail comes as naturally as the ambient yeast and wild malolactic bacteria. Tannin, pH, and acid adjustments are nil. There is no fining or filtration either. Thanks to the cold air blowing from the southerlies up the long gully no refrigeration is required for cold soaks pre and post fermentation. In fact, open ferments heating is often needed.
They’ve come to know the site intimately over the last three decades, dedicating their deep sensitivity and curiosity to amplifying the subtleties of Pinot Noir through their terroir-driven wines. They’ve divided the vineyard according to four different mesoclimates, influenced by elevation, aspect, slope, or proximity to large bodies of water – observing their unique effect on the vines over the seasons. So attuned to those subtle variations are their wines. As you drink the Whisson Lake wines, you can’t help but marvel at the crystalline prism that Andrie and Mark’s organic vineyard practices and unadulterated winemaking offer.
2023 ‘Le Gris de Noir’
The Whisson Lake Gris de Noir is a unique take on Pinot Noir - made from the clear juice of Pinot Noir grown on steep, shaded hillsides and picked early from six rows selected from the South-facing, cooler Gris Block. It is only made in the cooler years. The first version of the Gris de Noir was created in 2009, when then fellow winemaker Tom Munro suggested making a sparkling wine. Although the original idea never took off, something even better eventuated – a white wine made like Champagne, but without bubbles.
Winemaking:
‘Vin gris’, as the French call it, is essentially a pale-coloured (effectively white) wine made from red grapes with no skin contact involved. The delicateness of Pinot Noir required that the fruit be hand-picked in the cool (6-8 degrees) early morning hours, then whole bunch pressed to puncheon (500 litre) for a wild fermentation. The wine was finally aged in French oak for 20 months with no lees stirring, minimal sulphur and no filtration or fining.
Tasting Notes:
Those who are well acquainted with the Gris de Noir will notice a stark change in hue, from an iridescent copper to a clear pale yellow. Building on lessons from earlier iterations, Andrie and Mark opt for early picking and minimal lees stirring, resulting in a lush yet much more focused expression of the fruit. It has a nose delicately composed of nectarine, white peach, pear, and zesty citrus, with these notes echoing on the palate. The waxiness has given way to a light yoghurt creaminess and the searing acidity we've come to expect from this site.
2023 Pinot Noir Black Label
The Black Label Pinot Noir grapes grow in the lower half of the property, a spot that's sunny and warm during the grape growing season, but cold in winter— the cold air lingers at the bottom of the steep slopes where the younger vines are planted. Some older vine fruit from higher parcels goes in the blend, which helps mitigate the effect of heat spikes during the growing season (clones 114, 115, 777, MV6, D2V6, D5V12, and G8V3 were planted in the 1990s).
Winemaking:
10% whole bunch adds a stalky appeal and tannin structure. After 10 days of cold soaking under argon the fruit, voluptuous and extremely well balanced, was pressed to tight grained French oak, 15% new. The wine was aged for 22 months on lees prior to racking with no filtration or fining. Fruit is wholly drawn from the bottom block with pressings
Tasting Notes:
The product of a remarkable season in the Adelaide Hills, this ‘Black Label’ represents the very best of a young wine from Whisson Lake. Its pale colour belies its intense fruitiness, with heady perfumes of strawberry, roses, and sour Davidson’s plum. Dig deeper to uncover restrained aromas of wax crayon, aniseed, and fresh earth, with tart fruits on the palate and very pretty tannins. This is another Pinot from Whisson Lake that punches well above its weight.
2021 Pinot Noir White Label
A wine that beautifully encapsulates Andrie and Mark’s fascination for Pinot Noir. It hails from the cool and well-drained upper section of the Bunny Block planted in 1985 (clones D5V12, D4V2, and 777). These vines are now hitting their peak, both in quality and altitude—sitting between 560 to 610 meters above sea level. They thrive without irrigation, crafting a tightly structured wine, intricate in flavour, and with great tannic feel.
Winemaking:
The White Label Pinot Noir embodies the hallmark characteristics of this unique site – intense with exceptional tannin structure to age, effortlessly composed and balanced This is a timeless expression of high-altitude Piccadilly valley Pinot Noir. 15% whole bunch and minimal new oak (13%) for 18 to 20 months.
Tasting Notes:
An absolutely stunning wine, with silky, deep flavours that feel hedonistic, yet it carries a surprising lightness of foot and thoughtful composition. The profile is true to the Whisson Lake terroir—macerated strawberries mingle with ripe raspberries, salty licorice, and rose—but it’s the sweet spiciness and the acid backbone that make this release so compelling. Tannins are already mild, yet carry remarkable flavour.
2022 Pinot Noir ‘Monopole’
The fruit comes from the four rows adjacent to Andrie and Mark’s house. Each vintage, barrels from all plots are selected and tasted blindly in the assemblage process. Interestingly, the Monopole Pinot Noir always derives from those four rows of clone D5V12. This parcel has the potential to produce outstanding quality fruit when given the right amount of attention throughout the seasons.
Winemaking:
The grapes were destemmed (10% whole bunch), then wild fermented. The juice was left on skins for 2 weeks after the first fermentation under a layer of argon. The wine was then slowly aged for 20 months in old French oak barrels (10% new).
Tasting Notes:
This cuvée of ‘Monopole’ shows a striking divergence in character from the ‘White Label’. Its pseudo-French naming hints at parallels to the great wines of Burgundy, and while it remains firmly rooted in the Adelaide Hills, it carries overtones reminiscent of that revered region. This is a hauntingly beautiful Pinot Noir—reserved in its youth, yet already revealing dark cherry fruits, licorice root, and violets. Subtle secondary notes of game meat, mushroom, and peaty undergrowth add to its mystique and hint at long-term potential. The palate is defined by soaring acidity, fine tannins, and a deeply structured frame. Built to age, and compelling in its expression.