2013 Tippet's Dam Pinot Noir
This single vineyard wine from the Tippet’s Dam vineyard has complex floral and fruit aromas leading to a densely layered mid-palate full of bramble fruits, spice and wild herbs. Plush tannins and a supple mouth feel follow through into a very long finish of cinnamon and cherries. Structured for 4 – 8 years cellaring, this wine is drinking well on release and is most expressive with food.
Winemaker's Notes:
The grapes were hand-picked at 25.4 Brix and fermented with 20% whole bunches included. They then underwent a cold soak for a week, fermented for a week and post-soak for another week. Pressed to French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation in the Spring then racked to blend 9 months later and returned to neutral oak before bottling in June 2014. Bottled sans fining or filtering.
Malcom Rees Francis, Winemaker
Viticulture
Vineyard: Tippet’s Dam, Bannockburn, Central Otago
Soils: Ardgaur / Hawksburn / Felton soils and variants. Mainly light brown sandy loam over packed gravels of alluvial schist , with clay loams over gravel and packed schist on the south sector.
Harvest Date: 19/4/2014
Brix at Harvest: 25.4
Clones: 10/5, 5, 777, 115, 113, 13
Winemaking
Residual Sugar: Less than 1g/l
pH: 3.4
T.A: 7.1 g/l
Alcohol: 14% /vol.