Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir Rosé 2025

Description

Cherry, Dry, Melon

A delicate, savoury nose of cranberry, red cherry, and watermelon leads into a bright yet complex palate. Red and pink fruits are layered with savoury, mineral notes and a subtle oyster shell texture. Fine, long, and elegant through the finish. Best after two years. It will age gracefully for a further 12 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Grapes for Bannockburn Pinot Noir come exclusively from estate and winery managed vineyards situated on the south side of the Kawarau River. While subject to the seasonal and diurnal temperature extremes of Central Otago, each vineyard has a specific terroir and a variety.

The 2025 season continued Central Otago’s run of warm, fruitful vintages. A severe November frost reduced yields in some areas, but most vineyards met or nearly met target tonnage. Warm, sunny conditions with above-average night temperatures accelerated acidity drop, allowing earlier harvests once flavours were ripe. A notably dry season kept disease pressure very low. The resulting wines show lovely weight, concentrated fruit, and fine, silky tannins, even in their youth.

Sourced from a block of Abel clone Pinot Noir, grown close to the base of Mt Difficulty itself which blocks the harsh afternoon sun to this site, along with the first cops off a new planting in our Long Gully Vineyard. The grapes for this wine were handpicked and split into various parcels. All were gently crushed and pressed, minimising skin contact. The juice was split up and wild fermented in barrel, concrete egg, and some inoculated in tank. The parcels were kept separate on lees for 4 months before blending and bottling. This technique has given a complex, weighty style rose.