Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018

Lovely ripe berry and dark cherry fruit notes combined with attractive smoky and spicy elements. Fleshy berry fruits and spicy oak nuances are to the fore on the full, rich palate.

Accolades

93 Points, 5 stars - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
3.5 Stars - Winestate Recent Releases Sept/Oct 2019
Bronze - New World Wine Awards 2019
Bronze - New Zealand International Wine Show 2019

Winemaking – 2017

VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING

The 2018 growing season in Marlborough was not without some challenges. December we enjoyed perfect flowering conditions, January was one of the warmest on record, February delivered some rain and March was characterised by extended dry periods and high sunshine hours. Despite all this, the fruit ripened nicely on the vines, earlier than normal, and we had clean, ripe and intensely flavoured fruit come harvest in April. 

Fruit for our 2018 Reserve Pinot Noir comes from a selection of premium vineyard sites throughout Marlborough. Upon arrival the fruit was cold soaked for 3 5 days to extract the desired flavours, tannins and colour. Fermentation followed, in a selection of small open top tanks, using a selection of yeasts. The wine was plunged two to three times a day to extract colour and tannins from the skins. Select parcels were then allowed to macerate, further extracting colour and flavours after fermentation, for a further two to five days. After gently pressing the liquid off skins, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation to soften the palate and was then aged with a combination of French and Hungarian Oak. 

Tasting Note

Dark cherry and blackcurrant fruits are complimented with complexing mushroom and black olive tapenade flavours. The palate is rich with combined dark and red berry fruits, blueberries and cassis. Finely poised and silky tannins.

Food Match

Enjoy with Grilled Venison Medallions and Mushroom and Tomato Bordelaise sauce or a Beetroot and Goats Cheese Tart.

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2018  2017  2016