Saint Clair Vicar's Choice Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021

Description

• French oak
• Strawberries
• Thyme & spice
• Savoury finish

Garnet red. Red berry fruit aromas of strawberries and raspberries with a slight herbal lift. A round full palate with loads of red berry fruit, dried thyme and spices. A silky structure leads to a long savoury finish. Drinking well upon release this wine can be enjoyed young and will continue to mature and develop complexity for the next three to five years.

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 with seasoned French oak or older French barrels. The wine underwent 100 per cent malolactic fermentation before being blended, fined, lightly filtered and gently prepared for bottling.

Food Pairing: A perfect match for smoked salmon with garlic crushed potatoes and a green bean salad.