William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir (750ml)

• Wine Type

  Red Wine

• Size

  750ml

• Vintage

  2020

• Country

  Australia

• Region

  Victoria

• Sub-Region

  Victoria

• Grape

  Pinot Noir

• Farming Method

  BiodynamicAll of our products that are tagged with the term Biodynamic are either biodynamic certified or biodynamic practicing. Learn More

• ABV

  13%

• Food Pairing

  Roast ChickenMushroom dishesSalmon

• Vegan Friendly

  Yes

William Downie is well known in Australia for making minimal intervention wines long before it became a trend.  His drive for excellence has seen him rise to the ranks of being on of the finest Pinot Noir growers and producers in Australia.  His Guendulain Farm vineyard is located, in Gippsland, Victoria.   In the late ’90s he worked briefly in a bottle shop that lead to a wine appreciation course, then enrolment in the inaugural Negociants Working with Wine Fellowship, in 1998.  He was eventually working for Australia wine icon De Bortoli, travelling to Burgundy and totally immersed in wine culture and winemaking.    

Downie had been making Pinot Noir under the William Downie label since 2003, with Mornington, Yarra Valley and Gippsland bottlings produced by the time he left De Bortoli in 2007.  He now makes wine under his own labels, including from his home property, Guendulain Farm, in Gippsland, but he was also the founding winemaker at the ambitious Thousand Candles, with Patrick Sullivan (Jumping Juice wines) by his side. Downie also works with Jason Searle to produce the SOS wines, which include some really fun varietals and styles. 

Downie is credited with having influenced other Australian winemakers to shift towards producing a purer, more fragrant style of Pinot Noir, an influence whose ripples are still felt today.  Downie’s wines are hands off, with destemmed berries fermented without plunging or pumping until late in the ferment. He produces elegant wines, without lots of extraction. 

Tasting Notes