Blue Earth 2016 Pinot Noir magnum
NZD $210.00 inc GST
For people who want to savour an aged pinot noir protected in a magnum, or who just want to add a statement on the dinner table. 2014 was a top year for the vineyard. This Pinot Noir is fragrant and supple. It is now truly ready for drinking.
Description
Transparent crimson. Sweet and almost soft but very nice and unforced. Refreshing. Long. Impressive!
Drink 2018-2023 (17)
Savoury, silty, mineral beginning. Red fruits led by cherry and strawberry, bracken, dried herb. Very complex. Palate facsimile of nose. Firm to fine tannins, well judged oak, backbone of acidity. Long finish.
Drink 2018-2025.18.5 (95)
Decanter (December 2015)
Blue Earth Estate Pinot Noir 2016
TASTING NOTES
Aromas of ripe dark red cherries and berry fruit abound on the nose with hints of floral perfume in the background adding complexity and intrigue. Velvet soft tannins form the backbone of this succulent and vibrant Pinot. The red cherries come through in the mid palate along with savoury notes and touches of nutty oak spice. This is a superbly balanced, elegant and weighted Pinot capable of ageing for up to ten years.
THE VINEYARD
This family owned and operated vineyard is on an old river terrace at the south end of Te Muna Valley. The stony soils with an underlay of limestone, a gentle north facing slope and exposure to westerly winds produce low volume crops of high intensity.
VINIFICATION
All fruit was carefully hand harvested and sorted in the vineyard and winery before being destemmed and tipped into 5T open top tanks for fermentation. After a few days on skins we bled off around 10% of the juice off, to concentrate the remaining wine and enhance its structure.
The wine spent a total of 22 days on skins including punching down by hand up to three times a day, before being pressed to French oak barrels. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel and remained on its lees for ten months before racking, blending and bottling.
Indigenous yeasts are used which add to the wine’s complexity in addition to traditional methods of punching down the ferments by hand.
THE SEASON
The 2016 vintage was highlighted by the El Nino weather pattern bringing with it long sunny days and little rain. This gave one of the driest summer and autumn periods on record with only 228mm of rain compared to a long term average of 500mm. The warm and sunny conditions continued right through the harvest enabling hand picking to take place at optimum ripeness. 2016 is another excellent year for the region with forward fruit expression, soft rounded tannins and lovely elegance.
Information
REGION: Martinborough
OAK MATURATION: 10 Month in French Oak 21% new
VINEYARD BLOCK: Hanson Vineyard
CLONE: 115/ 5/ Abel
HARVEST DATE: 21st April 2016
HARVEST ANALYSIS: 24.0 Brix 3.38pH 7.05 g/L TA
BOTTLING DATE: 6th March 2017
WINE ANALYSIS: 3.53 pH 5.90 g/L TA 14.4% Alc RS – Dry