Wine of the Month - July 2025

Gentle Folk Pinot Noir 2024

Gentle Folk Pinot Noir

The Gentle Folk Pinot Noir (formerly known as Village Pinot Noir) is a true reflection of its origins, a harmonious blend sourced from their estate vineyards: Monomeith, Little Creek, Scary Gully, and Piccadilly, all nestled in the Basket Range, South Australia. The 2024 release, in particular, speaks to the very soil from which it springs. With the majority of fruit hailing from Little Creek and Basket Range, this vintage leans into an enchanting earthiness and brambly character. Yet, it gracefully maintains the signature Gentle Folk style – a captivating dance between alluring aromatics and supple tannins.

The winemaking process itself is a testament to their philosophy of honest expression. Primarily, it involves a 20% whole cluster open top fermentation for three weeks, contributing layers of complexity. This is beautifully complemented by a portion of the blend undergoing shorter macerated 100% whole-bunch fermentation, adding a vibrant lift. After fermentation, the wine rests for eight months in a combination of French oak barriques and puncheons, with a subtle 15% new oak allowing the fruit to shine through.

95 points

"It has the weight and concentration to make you double check the price."

- Katrina Butler (Halliday Wine Companion)

The Tapestry of Terroir

Gentle Folk farms five sites totalling eight hectares, primarily in the Basket Range sub-region, but also extending to other cool-climate pockets of the Adelaide Hills. Each vineyard contributes its own distinct character to their wines, especially the single-vineyard expressions.

Monomeith (Ashton): Located on the top ridge of Ashton, this vineyard is considered one of the coolest in the Adelaide Hills. Planted in 1996 to Pinot Noir, its soils are quartz rubble over siltstone, sandstone, and clay. Wines from Monomeith often exhibit intensity and firm structure.

Little Creek (Norton Summit): Planted in 1987 and 1990 to Pinot Noir, this site sits at around 500m elevation with quartz over sandstone soils. Wines from Little Creek are known for their lighter, more perfumed style with gentle tannins, contributing to the earthiness and bramble notes in the Gentle Folk Pinot Noir.

Scary Gully (Forest Range): This is one of the highest and oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, planted in 1984. At 620m elevation, its light loamy clay over sandstone soils with schist and quartz rubble produce concentrated and powerful Pinot Noirs.

Piccadilly (Piccadilly Valley): This area is renowned for powerful and elegant Chardonnay. Gentle Folk sources Chardonnay from old vines in the heart of Piccadilly, contributing to refined and complex white wines.

St James's (Uraidla): This vineyard also contributes to their Pinot Noir blend, further enhancing the wine's earthy character.

Summertown: This site is primarily planted to Sauvignon Blanc, offering crisp and vibrant expressions of the variety.

These diverse vineyard sites, each with its unique elevation, aspect, and soil composition, are meticulously farmed with an organic and biodynamic approach. This dedication to healthy land and happy vines is what truly allows Gentle Folk to craft wines that are honest reflections of their Adelaide Hills origins.

Gentle Folk Pinot Noir

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