Mud House Single Vineyard Claim 431 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022

Description

Oak, Spice, Vanilla

"Dark ruby and purple hues lead to a bouquet of fresh plums and raspberries laced with cinnamon and vanilla baking spices, a touch of wood smoke and dried clay mineral suggestions. It is also quite floral with a roses and violets perfume. Youthful, fruity, varietal and very plush as the wine touches the palate. Flavours mirror the bouquet as does the wood and floral notes. Fine tannins melt away easily on the palate and acidity keeps the palate refreshed. Well made, dry and lengthy. best drinking from 2024 through 2028+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Jun 2023

Deep ruby. Fresh dark berries and sweet cherry aromas are complemented by delicate floral notes and spicy oak. The elegant and layered palate features  lingering acidity and ripe tannins. Dark berry notes provide freshness and texture.  Warming oak spice rounds it out and leads into a long, refreshing finish.

All the fruit was sourced solely from our Claim 431 Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. Free draining loam soils over schist gravel makes this sub-region a natural home for  growing outstanding Pinot Noir. The huge diurnal (day/night) temperature shifts which are typical of the region, add to the structure and increased flavour concentration in the fruit.

2022 was a classic Central Otago growing season. Conditions were dry and warmer than normal, though some wet weather hit toward the end of the season. Fortunately, the fruit was in  fantastic condition and when it was hand picked it was perfectly ripe and  bursting with delicious flavour.

When the grapes for this Pinot Noir reached optimal ripeness they were hand harvested and gently destemmed. After a week long cold soak, the fruit, which included 40% whole bunch, was fermented using indigenous yeasts and plunged to extract vibrant colour, flavour and delicate tannin structure. The wine was then pressed into a mix of new and old French oak barrels to mature for 12 months. Natural malolactic fermentation began at the beginning of spring.