Description

Vintage Conditions:

The 2016/17 growing season was a challenging one for winegrowers in Central Otago. There was a warm start but this made way for an unusually windy and cool January. However, the lead up to vintage was very dry so although the yield was lower than average, the grapes had incredibly low botrytis levels and the fruit was extremely clean when harvested. Thankfully, the 2 cyclones (Debbie and Cook) that caused so much damage in other wine growing regions of New Zealand, missed Central Otago and overall, winemakers were agreed that, despite the challenges, this vintage produced some exceptional fruit.

Winemaking Notes:

The hand picked harvested grapes were gently pressed, with some being left as whole bunches, before the juice was allowed to cold settle and then the fermentation process commenced. Following that, each of the parcels of grapes were moved into French oak barrels (10% of which was new oak) and then underwent malolactic fermentation. During this process, the integrating oak helps to build up the mid palate weight and complexity of the wine whilst also contributing a creaminess to the overall texture and mouthfeel. This was followed by maturation for up to 9 months. At the end of maturation, each of the parcels were tasted before. the final make-up of the blend was fully decided.