Saint Clair Vicar's Choice Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016

Description

Dark ruby red in the glass with aromas of ripe aromas of fresh strawberries and floral perfume with a hint of dried herb, spice and fresh coffee beans.
Palate see fresh red fruit flavours of cherries and cranberries combine with toasted spice and fresh black coffee. The texture is silky and the finish is long and toasty.

The fruit was sourced from a number of specifically chosen low cropping vineyards planted in the Southern Valleys region of Marlborough. Leading up to harvest each vineyard was closely monitored and tasted to determine when the flavours were at their optimum and then harvested in the cool of the morning.

At the winery each batch (or vineyard) was held cold for five days prior to fermentation to help with colour and flavour extraction. The juice was then inoculated with yeast for the primary alcoholic fermentation and hand plunged up to eight times daily during the height of fermentation. When dry each batch was pressed to tank, settled and then racked off gross lees to either stainless steel tanks or a mixture of new and older seasoned French oak. The wine underwent 100 per cent malolactic fermentation before being blended, fined, lightly filtered and gently prepared for bottling. Drinking well upon release, this wine can be enjoyed young and will continue to mature and develop complexity for the next four to five years.

Food Pairing: Perfect with smoked salmon, new potatoes and fresh summer salad.