Not Your Average White Secret | Seven-Year Wine Project Revealed
This month, Latitude 32 Wines is launching The Enigma – a 2024 vintage epitomising the winery’s catch cry of ‘fun with serious intent’.
The passion project of Emma and David White, the founders of Latitude 32, it’s been seven years in the making and is destined to change perceptions of wine, pushing sensory boundaries and delivering an experience that’s been hailed as “Australia in a glass.”
“The Enigma represents Latitude 32’s pursuit of innovation,” said Emma.
“A white wine made from black grapes, inspired by winemaking traditions from around the world but rooted firmly in the terroir of the Hunter Valley. This wine comes from our 40-year-old dry-grown Pinot Noir vines at our Duck Hollow vineyard and is both a tribute to our region and a study in contrast – a wine crafted ‘through a new lens’.”
Emma and David were inspired to create this distinctive White Pinot Noir after their travels to Alsace, France, in 2017, where they first discovered and fell in love with it.
“The first time I tried a White Pinot Noir in France, I was totally confused by the experience,” says Emma.
“We were asked to guess the varietal, and we just assumed it was one of the six whites the region is known for, despite the red wine experience during the tasting. Of course, we were wrong to think it was a white wine – everyone gets it wrong, which is the fun part. I bought it for all my friends and just loved confusing their palettes.
“In 2020, we discovered it again in Oregon in the US, where they make quite a bit of it. I’ve wanted to make my own version ever since that first tasting.”
Their commitment to crafting a wine that defies standard varietal expression was initially resisted by their winemaker, who recognised the challenge they faced. Pinot Noir is traditionally a cool-climate wine, but Latitude 32 produces it in a warm climate. Creating a white wine with true Pinot Noir flavour characteristics without a pink Rosé hue was a significant challenge. The process of successfully vinifying the black grapes to produce a wine that looks truly white is a secret that Emma is not about to share!
“I’m so excited to launch this into the world. We’ll produce a new one yearly, but it will always be different. We think we’re the only winery creating a true White Pinot Noir in Australia; others are technically called white, but they have the pink hue of a Rosé, so they don’t offer that mind bending experience of tasting a white wine but experiencing the flavours and
aromas of a red,” says Emma.
This is what makes The Enigma a truly unique tasting experience. The wine showcases a refined elegance, marked by well-integrated oak and subtle tannins that provide a sophisticated structure. On the palate, it unfolds with layers of strawberries, cherries, fresh melon, juicy white peach, and baked apple, all underscored by a delicate spice. The bright acidity provides a firm backbone and a long, memorable finish. It’s best served slightly chilled.
The Enigma is produced in limited quantities and is available now at the Latitude 32 Wines Cellar Door, located on Hermitage Road Pokolbin, where the newly renovated cellar door features sweeping views of the vineyard set against the backdrop of the Broken Back Mountains. You can also purchase it online, retailing for $65 per bottle.
“We’re offering it for tasting now. A fun thing to do is to taste it side by side with our traditional Pinot Noir, produced from the same block, but I particularly love it when people don’t know what they’re tasting. When you ask them to describe what they’re tasting, we hear things like, ‘I want to say that I can smell strawberries, but I can’t because it’s a white wine!’. It proves that people should say what they actually feel about their wine experience because you can’t get it wrong. Don’t be afraid to say what you taste and smell.
“The Enigma is a wine that defies the traditional Pinot Noir profile. Pour a glass for family, friends, or even those wine aficionados who think they’ve tried it all. Will they guess the varietal? Probably not, but that’s half the fun!”
Latitude 32 is a place where picnics are encouraged, lawn games can be enjoyed by young and old, they serve delicious dumplings, and wine can be purchased by the glass and enjoyed on a stroll through the vineyard. The cellar door is open Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Book your tastings at www.latitude32wines.com/cellar-door
