Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017

Description

"Commercial diver and lover of Central Otago, Quintin Quider was initially drawn to Stewart Island from his native Southern California. It was challenge of winemaking that took him the final step from Stewart Island to Bannockburn’s Felton Road and the establishment of Wild Earth Wines. Their first vintage was in 2004, but it wasn't until 2008 that the name Wild Earth started to resonate as a quality Pinot Noir to watch, winning trophies for their 2006 Pinot Noir. The bouquet is very seductive with black fruit, thyme, elegant cedar oak and subtle mushroom complexity.  Velvety with concentration and layers of dark fruit flavour, the tannins are fine, supple and silky with a long persistent finish. A great wine for any occasion, especially one that involves friends, family and food" Jim Harre, Premium New Zealand Wine Selection 2019

"Delicious now, but also ageworthy, this is a single-vineyard, Bannockburn red, hand-picked and matured for a year in French oak (27% new). Full, bright ruby, it is a powerful, young, sweet-fruited and savoury, with a fragrant, slightly earthy bouquet and fresh, deep cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, combining charm and complexity" Winestate Magazine, Jun 2019

"It is fabulously fruited and gorgeously expressed on the nose showing dark cherry, sweet plum, floral, vanilla and roasted nut characters with a touch of mushroom complexity. The palate is wonderfully weighted and supple, delivering layers of fine texture and delectable flavours, superbly structured by fine, polished tannins" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2019

"A single vineyard wine from the Bannockburn subregion. A pleasing and quite complex mix of cherry and plum with fresh herb, violet and wild thyme characters. A bright, elegant, moderately concentrated Pinot Noir with a slightly rustic edge" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Jun 2019

Deep garnet colour with intense aromas of cherry, blackberry, cedar, wild thyme, mushroom and earthy loam. The cooler 2017 vintage has delivered a wine with tremendous concentration and a remarkable core with layers of dark red fruit wild herb and distinctive earthy flavours complementing a richly textured palate. Silky fine tannins, vibrant fruit and intense aromas complement a serious structure with so much finesse. Harmonious and rich, this Pinot is drinking beautifully as a young wine and should continue to deliver enjoyment for 12+ years.

A cooler growing season with more spring frosts gave us lower crops with smaller bunches leading to a highly concentrated, deeply coloured Pinot Noir with great acidity and a long finish. The cooler season and relatively dry harvest period kept the grapes disease free and in great balance.

This wine is a single vineyard Pinot Noir from a highly awarded site in Bannockburn. The fruit was hand harvested at optimal ripeness with harvest dates ranging from early to late April 2017. Seven ferments went into the blend ranging from 0-50% whole bunches per fermenter with the resulting blend having around 25% whole clusters which aids the tannin structure and aromatics of the wine. The total time on skins ranging from 3 to 4 weeks. The wine was aged in fine grain French Oak: 27% new, 33% 1 year old and 40% 2-5 year old barriques for approximately 12 months. The winemaking intention was for transparency in order to showcase the great personality of this Bannockburn site in a vintage that is truly elegant and graceful.

Vegan friendly.