• Graceful oak
• Red berries
• Spice & herb
• Fresh palate

"Wild fermentation using some whole clusters. Aged for 12 months in oak, 23% new. Fine-grained pinot noir with dark-fleshed plum, spice, anise, wood-smoke and subtle roasted chestnut flavours. Fruit sweetness is nicely balanced by fine-grained tannins" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Oct 2020

"Deep, medium ruby-red with some depth, lighter on the rim. The nose is elegant, gently filled the glass with the richness of dark cherries, red plums, sweet florals, melded with an amalgam of oak spices, herbs and crushed rock mineral notes. Medium-full bodied, concentrated flavours of plums and cherries, along with herbs and floral detail, lingers with savoury detail, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper and rocky mineral to a sustained finish. The fruit is concentrated with a dense mouthfeel, packed full of fruit flavours and savoury notes of game meat, sea salt and crushed rocks; fine-grained tannin extraction is silky and smooth, contributed to the mouthfeel and weight. Lacy acidity gives balance and freshness to the palate, carries powdery spices and mineral to a lengthy finish. Clones 667, 5, 777 from their Home vineyard with extra care and low yield. Fermented to 13.5% alc, some whole-bunches. Aged in barrels for 12 months, 23% new" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Aug 2020

This wine is harvested from the very best parcels of fruit on their Home Estate, typically from low yielding vines on the lowest vigour areas within the vineyard.
The 2019 Series Pinot Noir ripples with elegance and finesse reflecting the warm growing season experienced throughout the Wairarapa region. Bold aromatic expressions of wild flower, red berries, spice and herb give way to a fresh palate with generous length and graceful oak.

Their reserve range is named after the owners’ daughter, they are stand out vintage to vintage.

The vineyard is situated on an alluvial boulder ridge in the Masterton district of Wairarapa. With warm free draining soils and the cool dry local climate this is an ideal place to grow Pinot noir.

The vineyard blocks selected for the Series Pinot Noir receive additional attention during the growing season with a lot of leaf plucking and shoot positioning done by hand to expose the fruit and ensure optimum ripeness.

The Vineyard is planted in several combinations of rootstock and Pinot Noir clones. This wine was made from clones 667, 5, 777, each of which adds their own character and complexity to the final blend.

In the winery, the different batches of fruit were processed separately so that the individual characters could be retained. Further complexity was added by incorporating techniques such as plunging and pumping over to ensure optimum flavour extraction from the skins.

Prior to fermentation the grapes were left to cold soak for 3 days. Different yeast combinations were used, along with wild yeasts, to add even more depth of flavour.

The different batches were then left on skins for 21 days before being pressed off into barrel.

This wine also incorporated some whole cluster fermentation, which has lifted the aromatic profile with floral and spice notes. Once in barrel, the wine was aged for 12 months in oak (23% new) before the final blend was put together.

Food Pairing: Match with venison loin and duck over the next 6-8 years.