Two Paddocks Picnic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024

Description

Herbal, Oak, Redcurrant

"Sweetly fruited and beautifully aromatic, it shows sweet cherry, floral, clove, and nutmeg nuances on the nose. The palate offers bright fruit flavours with a fine texture and polished tannins, making it harmonious and smooth with a lengthy, refreshing finish. Certified organic. At its best: now to 2032" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2025

Bright red currant, wild herb and purple flower aromatics lead to a rich warmly textured wine, showing elegance, soft tannins and a great persistent finish.

Featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, S.E.D. Neill – Wine Merchant, on the label, Picnic is our perennial favourite – the wine to enjoy everyday and a wonderful introduction to the pleasure of Central Otago Pinot Noir. The fruit was sourced from Two Paddock’s estate vineyards in the Alexandra, Gibbston and Bannockburn sub-regions of Central Otago. Picnic Pinot Noir is made in a diminutive style aimed to reflect the characters that Central Otago Pinot does so very well – black and red cherry fruit, alluring spice and a generosity that keeps you reaching for the next sip.

Harvest started on the 26th March at The Fusilier, Bannockburn and finished on the 17th April at The First Paddock, Gibbston. Two Paddocks’ Viticulturist, Mike Wing, celebrated his 20th vintage this year and described this significant season as “A game of two halves”. The first half was characterised by the coldest Spring in five years and hence there was a lot of frost fighting with overhead water, which in turn stimulated weed growth. The finale was a hail event in Alexandra in January that affected some of the vineyards and so the early part of the growing season is aptly described as challenging. February and March then delivered warm settled weather and ripening progressed well. There was no Autumnal frost fighting and overall the 2024 crop was clean, ripe and at optimum quantity levels.

Hand harvested on the 26 March, 89% de-stemmed and given 9 days pre-fermentation cold maceration. After an indigenous ferment the wine is given another 9 days post ferment time on skins. Wine is then transferred to 1-4 year old French medium toast barriques (1% new oak) for a 9 month maturation in predominantly older oak, before racking and bottling.