Waipara West

Hand-picked, individual parcels were destemmed without crushing into small open-top fermenters. The fruit was soaked until natural fermentation commenced before a selected yeast strain was inoculated to carry on and finish the fermentation, which was hot and quick. During this time, the ferments were worked to extract tannins appropriate to fruit weight and intensity. The more aromatic parcels were pressed off skins within five days of dryness, and the Swiss clones spent up to two weeks on skins. Parcels then went to barrel where we used only 5% new oak, instead opting for a high percentage of one-year-old (20%) to better match fruit weight. The wine then spent 12 months in barrel undergoing malolactic fermentation in spring, before being lightly fined and course pad filtered prior to bottling. Colour: Crimson and pink flashes against a plummy red base. Aroma: Aromatics of currant pastries, woody spice’s, and manuka leaf, leading to notes of forest undergrowth and florals. Palate: Moderate fruit sweetness, fine tannin and restrained volume allow savoury elements to splice evenly into the tart red fruit. A very enjoyable aromatic pinot noir, with good fruit density pH: 3.70 Acidity: 5.25 g/L

Estate grown on 3 blocks with differing soil structure, wind exposure and clones – early 1980’s selections from St Helena and more recent Dijon clones. The colour is an attractive, very bright ruby garnet with distinct crimson hues at the rim. Aromatically it is as striking as it is seductive. Bright red fruits - raspberry, strawberry and Morello cherry have immediate impact with an equally impressive array of oriental spices - anise and clove. Ripe seed aromas of almond kernel and cherry stone lift the nose. Time reveals an inner core of darker black cherry, and just a hint of bramble all kept in check by some very attractive yet subtle French oak. The palate is soft, silken and warm but with a certain nervosité which is to say that as a young wine it may appear both bright in acidity and forward in tannins, but that’s just for starters. Those are simply the framework in which the wine is cradled, the fruit depth is palpable, the Pinosity generous and its presence authoritative.