Amisfield Breakneck Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023

Description

Cherry, Oak, Spice

A barrel selection from our beloved blocks 7 and 7C. Our first parcels to convert to organic practices back in 2015. Dark fruit intensity. With added complexity from whole cluster fermentation and extended barrel maturation. There is savouriness and spice and silky mouthfeel. The palate is complemented by a mineral streak that allows the wine to evolve in the glass.

Over the years of growing on our Estate we have been impressed with the evolution of our block 7C and block 7 Pinot Noir vines which are growing in the Lochar sandy loams soils with subsurface midrow irrigation and cover crops. This is our 8th release of a barrel selection from this site and is Biogro certified organic.

A gentle winter and spring allowed ideal conditions for strong budburst and blossoming until December. Low frost and wind contributed to robust vine health, yielding a remarkably lush canopy. Extreme heat and low rainfall between December & February meant the vines struggled with water stress but grape ripening still tracked well. We anticipated an early harvest, however, temperatures moderated, and a cold March realigned us with historical norms. Harvest was marked with intermittent weather events, slowing us down, but allowing the team the opportunity to be more attentive to their picking of impeccably clean, high-quality fruit across the estate. 

Clean low yielding Pinot Noir fruit was hand harvested and fermented in small batch open top fermenters. Whole bunch fermentation comprised of roughly 25% of the blend with time on skins spent between 20 and 32 days. The wine was aged in 30% new french oak barriques for a period of 16 months, undergoing a natural spring time malolactic fermentation.