Quartz Reef Single Vineyard Bendigo Pinot Noir 2022

Description

Cherry, Oak, Toffee

Immerse yourself in the captivating aromas of chestnuts, licorice, and eucalyptus, complemented by delicate toffee notes and a subtle hint of pepper. Experience a well-balanced palate that seamlessly blends fruit and tannins. Discover the elegant interpretation of dark cherry and sweet-tart flavours, enticing you to savour every sip of this remarkable Pinot Noir.

This wine is from our BioGro certified organic and Demeter certified biodynamic estate vineyard located in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. The vineyard was planted in 1998 after careful site selection. The soils on the beautiful north facing slope are Waenga fine sandy loam and Letts steepland with an elevation of 217 – 264 metres, on 44.55° south. Clones: 10/5, 5, 115, 667, 777 & Abel.

The growing season was a real “box of chocolates” as we experienced variable weather and climactic conditions as well as variable flowering and fruit set. Budburst began on September 23rd. We experienced long slow flowering starting on November 28th lasting for three weeks. From the beginning of January through to late February the temperature really heated up with days topping 35 degrees Celsius in Bendigo. First pick for the sparkling wine was on the 24th of February. The majority of our fruit was harvested by the end of March with our Pinot Noir picked on March 30th and the Pinot Gris a little later. Reflecting on a good year and great team we look forward to the coming winter to reset for another trip around the sun.

Hand-picked on the 17th,18th, and 21st March. Each clone was small batch vinified with a small percentage of whole cluster per ferment. Cold Soaked for up to 7 days before indigenous yeast fermentation kicked in. Gentle plunging each day, followed by post maceration of up to 9 days to ensure optimum fruit and tannin balance. Total time on skin; 21-26 days. Drained directly into selected French oak barriques (27% new) where the wine aged for 12 months during which malolactic fermentation occurred naturally.