Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 2021

We think this might be the best Pinot Noir we've made!  A warm summer produced a wine with excellent dark fruit concentration.  Aromatics of dark cherry, rich forest fruits and  spicy undertones. The palate shows good weight and texture with fine acidity giving balance and poise. Ageing in French oak (25% new) and malolactic fermentation have resulted in a complex, well-balanced wine with a generous palate and long finish.

Viticultural practises

The vines are predominantly Davis and Dijon clones; the Davis is slightly sweeter and the Dijon a more earthy flavour. The rootstock is Schwarzmann, a very low vigour dwarf rootstock.

Wine making details

Fruit was destemmed into open top fermenters and cold soaked. The must was hand plunged three times daily. A portion was wild fermented. Post ferment the wine was allowed to remain on skins for up to ten days before the wine was gently pressed directly to French oak barriques. Malolactic fermentation was encouraged and completed by early spring.

Food and wine matching

Moderate amounts of tannin mean the wine will suit meats with some fattiness, such as lamb or duck, especially those flavoured with pepper. Woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and basil will compliment the earthy flavours of the wine. An ideal match would be roasted lamb with a berry sauce.