• French oak
• Dark cherry & plum
• Cedar & mixed spice
• Silky txture

"Matahiwi’s flagship Pinot Noir is from their home vineyard, which is a raised gravel ridge outside Masterton. From an outstanding but small vintage, it’s made from 50% Abel Clone, 31% Clone 115 and 19% Clone 667 19%, with 56% fermented with whole clusters. Made in top vintages and a selection of the best two barrels, it’s a very attractive Pinot Noir, with a strong floral lift and flavours that suggest violet, dark cherry, plum and mixed spice. It has a wonderfully silken, ethereal texture. A delicious wine that can be appreciated now or cellared with confidence" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Feb 2022

The nose has lifted aromas of roses, violets, blueberry, spice and smoke. The palate has concentrated flavours of dark cherry, plum, cedar and earth with full spicy tannins leading to a sustained finish.

The fruit for this wine is from our home vineyard at Matahiwi, a raised gravel ridge outside Masterton in Wairarapa. 2019 was an exceptional vintage for Pinot Noir at Matahiwi, good spring rain established healthy canopy growth but also affected flowering which set small bunches and berries in the Pinot Noir. The combination of these naturally low yields and the beautiful warm dry summer and autumn ripened the fruit to perfection. For this wine we targeted small blocks of the best vines for extra fruit thinning and canopy management to maximize quality.

The fruit was harvested by clonal selection and for this wine we used 50% Abel clone for structure and spice, 31% clone 115 for fruit and mid palate richness, and 19% Clone 667 for aromatic lift and charm. The Abel fruit was 100% whole bunch fermented while the 667 and 115 were co fermented with 6% whole clusters. After maceration for up to 22 days on skins the young wines were run to barrel, 50% new French oak, where they underwent malolactic fermentation. The wines aged in barrel on full lees for a total of 10 months before being racked out and bottled with no fining.

Food Pairing: Excellent for sipping by the fire with a fat stogie, this wine is a great match for rich meat dishes like jugged hare, venison casserole or beef steak.