Reviews
Raymond Chan: 4★ 18/20 points
Fruit hand-picked and fully destemmed, given a cold soak and fermented to 13.97% alc., the wine spending 21-25 days on skins and aged in 90% new French oak. Light ruby-red colour with purple hues, lighter on rim. The bouquet features soft and elegant, ethereal aromas of spiced cherry fruit intermingling with fragrant red florals and oak. The nose builds in richness and depth. Medium-full bodied, flavours of red cherry fruit, red florals and spicy oak are supported by fine-grained tannins, lively acidity, and balanced alcohol forming a concentrated core. The palate has very good drive and line and is bright and sweet with vitality and energy. The fruit flavours are sustained on a long, lingering finish. This is an elegant and lively Pinot Noir with drive and good power. Serve with Asian cuisine over the next 4-5 years.
Reviews & Awards
WC PN 10
Silver – Bragato Wine Awards 2011Pure Silver – Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2011 4 Stars – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
WC PN 11
4 Stars – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
Regional Characteristics
Warmer climate Pinot Noir typically produces a wine exhibiting more savoury earthy notes and mouthfilling structure. When it's grown in a cooler site in Hawkes Bay, we can capture a lot of the essential elements of good Pinot Noir, silkiness, perfume and complexity. In sites that are too warm, the wine can become hard, bitter, dull and without charm.
Pinot from cooler climate, when it doesn't work can show overtly green unripe notes or overly fruity wines. They can lack structure, velvety texture and talciness that comes from the ripe fine grained tannins.
Winemaker's Intention
Sourced from a small area within the vineyard, where we believe we have uncovered our best soil, rootstock, clonal combination. It represents less than 3% of our total Pinot Noir production. Complexity and the ability to age are the two attributes we are striving for more than any other. So far we have produced wines exhibiting lifted herbs, earth and brooding dark spices with subtle florals define the complex aromatics and palate. Firm and structured, but not intimidating, we want the wine to build into a palate that is a blend of raspberry and dark cherry fruits. Ultimately, this wine will be judged on its ability to age and deserve its place against the benchmark, Burgundy. It’s a big ask form a young vineyard, we know that, but there is nothing more that we can imagine to do. Time will tell.
