Loveblock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018

Description

"This displays an impressive presence, smooth and succulent, with vibrant cherry, raspberry and apricot notes and touches of white pepper, anise seed and toasted cumin" Wine Spectator, Aug 2019

Crimson with purple hues in the glass. Ripe black cherry with smoky notes and hints of mushroom peeking out behind rich fruit on the nose. Fleshy black plum, with layers of cherry and sweet berries that play on the palate and dance with notes of violet.

The Pinot Noir grapes for this wine come from vineyards in Central Otago. Here, the soil type is free-draining sandy loam over schist alluvium gravels known as Molyneux soils. The clones planted in these soils are B777, B667, B115, Clone 5 (Pommard) and Abel. The vineyard is entirely cane pruned to two canes, with the wire being approximately half full. The Dijon clones give the wine nice floral notes, while Abel and Pommard provide structure.

Once the clones entered the required flavour profile they were either hand harvested or machine harvested with a destemming harvester. At the winery, the fruit was pumped straight to the tank without crushing in order to leave some whole berries and stems. After a five-day cold soak, the must was warmed and fermentation was spontaneous. The ferment was hand plunged twice daily until dry when it was pressed off. The wine then underwent full malolactic fermentation in tank. After eight months of ageing, the wine was stabilised and sterile filtered to bottle.

Food Pairing: Dry tannins and hints of cigar make this a versatile wine to pair with turkey, salmon, lamb and beef.