NEW RELEASE:
2023 Curly Flat Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - refinement from a cooler year
I have a particularly soft spot for the Macedon Ranges in the state of Victoria. For an Australian wine region it is remarkably chilly, and therefore produces some of the country’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, October 2020
2023 Pinot Noir, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
2023 Chardonnay, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
It is easy to overlook wines from the Macedon Ranges in the context of Australia. Less easy, once you have tasted those of Curly Flat. We have long regarded Curly Flat as one of the most quietly compelling estates in Australia. My own introduction dates back to the late 1990s, and Atlas first listed the wines with the impressive 2012 vintage. Since then, they have rarely put a foot wrong, and yet each year a new client or two are introduced to them for the first time.
Curly Flat is, and always has been, a benchmark for cool-climate viticulture in the Macedon Ranges, a region defined by altitude and marginal conditions. As James Halliday once observed, success here depends on rigorous site selection, meticulous vineyard management, and yields kept firmly in check. Curly Flat embodies that philosophy. With vineyards planted between 400 and 700 metres on the slopes below Mount Macedon (just over 1,000 metres), the estate operates at the edge of reliable ripening, where detail in the vineyard is everything.
Recent years have seen a subtle but meaningful evolution. Following Phillip Moraghan’s departure, owner Jenifer Kolkka entrusted the winemaking to Matt Harrop. His approach has been respectful, not revisionist – the house style remains intact, but there is a growing sense of refinement. The changes are incremental rather than overt: small adjustments, better calibrations, an accumulation of marginal gains. Yet taken together, they have gently lifted both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to a new level of precision.
The estate itself extends to around 60 hectares, of which just 15 are under vine, planted predominantly to Pinot Noir (77%), with Chardonnay at 18% and a small proportion of Pinot Gris completing the picture. The soils are largely young volcanic in origin, though pockets of much older material introduce an added layer of complexity. Aspect also plays its part, with a range of exposures across the sloping site contributing to nuance in ripening.
What defines Curly Flat, above all, is the evenness and restraint of its wines. Alcohol levels remain modest – often lower than many Burgundies in recent vintages – reflecting the long, unhurried growing season. The resulting style is one of clarity rather than weight, with fruit shaped by freshness and structure rather than opulence.
Few critics cover Curly Flat with any regularity. We therefore taste each vintage ourselves and form our own view, which has been consistently positive. The 2023 vintage continues that trajectory.
A brief note on the vintage
2023 followed a similarly cool pattern to recent years. A wet, cool start made 2023 a testing season in the vineyard, but conditions steadied through summer and into autumn. The extended growing season and unhurried ripening proved key, delivering fruit with clarity, composure and fine balance after a long hang time on the vine.
2023 Pinot Noir, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
Drawn from multiple parcels across the vineyard, this is raised in French oak (a modest proportion new) with a small inclusion of whole bunch. The aromatics are immediately lifted – red cherry, wild strawberry and a gentle savoury edge. There is a fine sense of poise on the palate: the fruit is vivid yet controlled, with no suggestion of excess ripeness. Texture is key here – silky, understated, with tannins that frame rather than impose. The finish carries a note of spice and faint woodsmoke, adding interest without weight. This feels particularly assured, even by Curly Flat standards. Truly refined, a class act. (SL) Drink 2027-2038
2023 Chardonnay, Curly Flat
£195 per 6 bottle case in bond
Sourced from three distinct blocks and fermented in a mix of barrel sizes, with measured use of new oak and full malolactic fermentation. The nose shows citrus and stone fruit, underpinned by a quiet, nutty complexity. On the palate, the defining feature is line and definition – pure fruit, taut acidity and a gently saline, mineral edge. Oak and lees influence are present but carefully judged, softening the wine without blurring its shape. There is an ease here, but also real persistence. For me, it sits comfortably among the finer recent releases as I like the profile of these cooler vintages. (SL) Drink 2027-2035
These are not wines that shout for attention, but they reward it. Distinctive, composed, and consistently high in quality, Curly Flat continues to offer something quietly different – and, in a market increasingly defined by escalation, they remain strikingly good value for the level they deliver.
Please let us know of your interest.
Simon
simon.larkin@atlasfinewines.com