Description
Reviews
Sam Kim – Wine Orbit – 94 pts/5 stars
A brilliantly structured pinot, showing dark berry, thyme, smoked game, almond and warm mushroom aromas, leading to a concentrated palate that’s plump and flavoursome. Brilliantly framed by fine grainy tannins, finishing sturdy and lingering. At its best: now to 2026.
Michael Cooper – Michael Cooper’s Wine Buyer’s Guide – 4 stars
Drinking well now, the 2016 vintage has generous, vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, with savoury notes adding complexity, fresh acidity and a smooth finish.
Candice Chow – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews – 16.5+/20 pts (84 pts)Ā
Deep, ruby-black with good transparency, lighter on the rim. The nose is gentle with a dense expression of blackberries, cherries, plums melded with black pepper and subtle dried herb and leaf in the mix. Medium-full bodied, aromas of cherries, plums and blackberries have a vibrant core, black tea, dried herb interweave a hint of smoke and oak spice. Lacy acidity enlivens the mouthfeel and adds to the aromatic lift of the fruit, and grainy tannins provide a dry texture and grip. This carries to a firm lingering finish. This is an elegant, taut, black and red fruited Pinot Noir, with lacy acidity and a firm finish.
Winemaking
The improved health of our vines after taking over what was a neglected vineyard in 2013 has started to show through in this vintage, producing a wine that is a more typical Central Otago Pinot Noir.
100% pinot noir grapes (clones 777, Abel, 115) were handpicked and blended together for fermentation.Ā 30% of the fruit was left as whole bunches to create complexity and tannins.
The grapes were bag pressed and racked to French oak barrels, 15% being new oak, with a number of one and two year old barrels for an overall oak influence of around 30%.
In Spring a second natural malolactic fermentation took place before being racked and fined in February 2017.
Winemaker: Debra Cruickshank
pH: 3.52, TA: 8.02 g/L, RS: 0.5g/L, Alc: 12%
Vegan Friendly
