Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017

2017 produced a perfumed Pinot Noir focused on dark berry and black cherry; brambly herb elements overlay a combination of violet and deep baronial florals. The wine displays breadth, focus and a fine plush finish. Savoury brambly blackberry introduces the wine, followed by a broad textured mid palate; this moves seamlessly into plush fine textural tannins. Dark cherry notes frame the finish.

• Winemaker's Notes
• Reviews/Accolades

• The changeable season led to lower than average yields of 5.2 T/Ha. Picking decisions were tricky with the key focus being phenolic ripeness. We started harvesting our Pinot Noir on April 4th and continued through to April 28th. Where possible, we try to co-ferment different clonal lots from the same vineyard, while vineyards are kept separate. Around three quarters of our ferments were de-stemmed only; the remaining quarter contained 15-40% whole clusters. The must underwent 8-9 days of cold maceration, being hand plunged once daily. The ferments were heated after this and all fermented with indigenous yeasts. The ferments lasted for an average of 7-9 days during which time they were hand plunged once daily with the temperature peaking at 30°C. The wine stayed on skins for a further 7-9 days post-dryness, and was plunged occasionally with increasing ease. When the wine tasted in harmony it was pressed off to barrel where it resided on full lees for 12 months. It underwent malolactic fermentation in the spring, was racked out of barrel in late autumn and filtered, but not fined, prior to bottling.
  
  The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Bannockburn label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated on the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Each has a specific terroir, largely influenced by climate, and offers a variety of soil types from open gravels to heavier clays. They are all low in fertility, and include light sands, clays, loams and gravels. Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir is blended from a range of Bannockburn vineyards, with the majority of grapes coming from earlier plantings which are predominantly clones 5, 6 and 10/5. More recent plantings are a mix of Dijon clones: 113, 115, 667 & 777.
  
  Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
  Region: Central Otago, NZ
  ABV: 13.5%
  
  
• To come