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Musk Creek vineyard, perched atop Main Ridge and planted in 1997 by Kevin McCarthy and Kathleen Quealy, is considerably cooler and hence later-ripening than Quealy’s Tussie Mussie or Balnarring sites. As such, it’s a marginal place to ripen Pinot, and low yields are a must (along with plenty of canopy work). Sitting at 150 metres, these mature, dry-grown vines are rooted in the rich red soils of the region. The four-hectare site is planted to Pinot Noir (mostly MV6) and Gris in equal measure, with another hectare dedicated to Muscat Rouge à Petits Grains and Chardonnay.
From a very low cropping vintage yielding concentrated bunches, the 2024 fermented wild, spending over 28 days on skins in small, two-tonne fermenters with minimal plunging and only light pressing. The wine rested on full lees in French hogsheads (25% new) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered in May 2025. It’s another elegant, savoury and complex Pinot from Quealy team, with the he quality of the vintage and site announcing themselves with finely pitched acidity and lengthy draw of suede-like tannins.