The RP Côte Vineyard Pinot Noir is the inaugural and most established expression of the Côte Vineyard, named for Robyn Pamela Farr and produced from the close-planted, high-density vines on the estate’s most recently developed land. The Côte Vineyard sits on an exposed ridge of the Moorabool Valley with hillsides facing north, northeast and east, creating a diversity of aspects within a single vineyard block that the Farrs regard as contributing to the wine’s layered aromatic complexity and structural depth. The vines incorporate the most suitable clones and rootstocks available, selected with the benefit of Gary Farr’s four decades of Geelong viticulture.

The 2020 vintage in Geelong produced wines of excellent concentration and textural richness, with the Côte Vineyard’s exposed aspects and good drainage allowing for a healthy ripening season without excessive moisture or temperature stress. Between 40 and 50 percent whole-bunch fermentation is incorporated, following the By Farr house method, with the wine then placed in 50 to 60 percent new Allier oak barrels for approximately 18 months before gravity racking and bottling without fining or filtration. Huon Hooke’s review of an earlier vintage of the RP Côte described “impressively deep, bright red-purple colour… great complexity of smoked charcuterie, root vegetables, dark cherry and blackberry… a spectacular Pinot Noir.”

The RP Côte Vineyard’s integration into the By Farr range marks an important development in the estate’s long-term ambitions: alongside the three established single-vineyard Pinot Noirs (Sangreal, Farrside and Tout Près), the Côte Vineyard’s two wines have quickly established their own identity and collector following. Wine-searcher’s aggregate for the 2020 RP Côte sits at 94/100, consistent with a wine that has attracted positive attention from domestic and international critics. The 2020 vintage represents one of the earliest releases from this exciting young site at its current stage of vine development.