Tohu Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021

Description

• French oak
• Ripe plum
• Crushed herbs
• Silky tannins

"Wonderfully ripe and inviting, the bouquet shows dark plum, sweet cherry, rich floral, toasted nut and mixed spice aromas, followed by a succulent palate offering excellent weight and silky flow. Delightfully framed by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and supple. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2023

"Dense, bright Pinot Noir with boysenberry, dark berry/cherry, chocolate, liquorice, dried herb and spicy oak flavours. Intense, structured wine with obvious cellaring potential. From an excellent vintage" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Aug 2023

"A rich purple hued pour with a bouquet of dark cherry and red berries of boysenberry then plum. there’s a layer of dark clay earth then a gentle savoury spice and oak influences. On the palate a dry fruity wine with a core of dark berry and plum flavours then spices of toasty French barrel. Tannins and acidity layer in mouthfeel and complexity. A lovely wine with a bold voice, best drinking from 2024 through 2033+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Aug 2023

A deep ruby red hue in the glass, this complex yet elegantly structured Pinot Noir displays dark berryfruit and earthy aromas on the nose. On the palate concentrated flavours of ripe plum and juicy cherry are supported by notes of crushed dried herbs and integrated smoky French oak. Finely balanced with soft, silky tannins, this delightfully enticing wine leads to a long, lingering and mouth-filling finish.

The grapes for this wine were sourced from our Awatere vineyard which is located on the river terraces of the Awatere River, overlooked by the mountain Tapuae-o-Uenuku. The Awatere is on average much cooler, drier and windier than other sub-regions in Marlborough, resulting in a longer growing season and intense flavour development. The 2020/21 growing season started with a wild and wet spring across the Marlborough region, leading to very light crop levels. Dry and warm conditions over the summer months resulted in outstanding flavour development in the berries with light yields and perfect ripening conditions resulting in an earlier than usual harvest. The first of the exceptionally concentrated, clean, and ripe fruit arrived at the winery on the 3rd April 2021.

Hand-harvested grapes were gently destemmed and gravity feed into small open top vessels, which were then chilled for 5 to 7 days before being warmed for fermentation. Following a fast, warm ‘wild’ ferment the wine was pressed directly into French oak barriques. Allowed to age in our dedicated Pinot Noir barrel cellar for the winter months, the wine then naturally underwent malolactic fermentation once the temperatures started to warm again in spring. The wine was carefully monitored over this time, and after this secondary fermentation was complete, rigorous blending and classification decisions were then made by the winemaking team. Once the final blend was made, the wine was left to settle a few more months before being bottled without the need for fining in mid-March 2022.