Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019French oak Baking spices Dark red fruit Silky fine tannins "Fresh, youthful, savoury and supple, this regional blend was hand picked and matured in French oak barriques (22% new). Bright ruby, it is very harmonious, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and a smooth finish" Michael Cooper, Winestate "Its wonderfully ripe and elegantly perfumed on the nose showing sweet cherry, violet, cedar and warm spice aromas on the

• French oak
• Baking spices
• Dark red fruit
• Silky fine tannins

"Fresh, youthful, savoury and supple, this regional blend was hand-picked and matured in French oak barriques (22% new).  Bright ruby, it is very harmonious, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and a smooth finish" Michael Cooper, Winestate

"It’s wonderfully ripe and elegantly perfumed on the nose showing sweet cherry, violet, cedar and warm spice aromas on the nose. The palate is equally satisfying, displaying excellent weight and intensity, together with refined mouthfeel and silky texture, leading to an impressively long velvety finish. Magnificently composed and sensually appealing. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Oct 2020

"You can expect elegance and purity of fruit in this sappy Pinot Noir. There's plenty of aromatic lift, with around one-fifth of the fruit whole- bunch fermented, giving anise and thyme seasoning to the damson and black cherry fruit. Light in body and rather delicate, offering lots of concentration on the midpalate. Oak use is subtle, adding a savory cedar note beneath the fruit. The combination of fresh acidity and taut chalky tannins provides purpose on the medium-length finish" Rebecca Gibb MW, Mar 2021

"Enticing, dark fruited bouquet with a steely, mineral & dried herb with baking spices of oak. Flavours of dark berries and dried raspberry, plum and baking spices. A violet and dried thyme flavours adding complexity and depth. Firm youthful tannins with a chalky mouthfeel, medium+ acidity and satisfying varietal and earthy finish. Well made and ready to enjoy from 2021 through 2026+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2020

"Vibrant ruby-red with some depth, slightly lighter on edge with a deep-purple hue. The nose is elegantly in proportion, with fragrant, intense nuances of sweet-scented black cherries, red berries, melded with an amalgam of delicate spices, unfolding dark florals and aromatic tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate is poised, sweet-fruited flavours of black cherries, red berries form a concentrated core with a savoury undertone. Mouthwatering minerals entwined deep florals, thyme and an amalgam of spices linger to linearity. The wine is in well-proportion of flavours; the sweet-scented fruit is concentrated with good intensity and depth; balanced by a savoury earth element. The mouthfeel is refined and elegant, possess dusty fine-grained tannin, underlying smooth, lacy acidity. The wine carries a sleek lingering finish. Match with smoked duck breast and roasted quail over the next 4-6 years. Fermented to 13.5% alc, around 21% whole bunches. Aged in French oak for approx 12 months, 22% new" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, Sep 2020

"Delicate and restrained with soft tannins, gingerbread hints. Well poised with a lot of elegance" International Wine Challenge 2021

Deep garnet hue with intense aromas of cherry, blackberry, cedar, wild thyme, mushroom and earthy loam. The cooler 2019 vintage has delivered an elegant wine with great concentration and a remarkable core with layers of dark red fruit, wild herb and distinctive earthy flavours complementing a highly focused palate with great intensity and length. Silky fine tannins, vibrant fruit and intense aromas complement a serious structure with so much finesse. Harmonious and lively, this Pinot Noir is drinking beautifully as a young wine and should continue to deliver enjoyment for 15+ years.

Winemaker Jen Parr selected fruit from four exceptional vineyards in Central Otago with an emphasis on cooler sites to create a fresh and elegant wine that will age gracefully. This Pinot Noir is Central Otago representing the best attributes of the 2019 season. The fruit was hand harvested at optimal ripeness with harvest dates ranging from early to late April 2019. Eight ferments went into the blend ranging from 0-50% whole bunches per fermenter with the resulting blend having around 21% whole clusters, which aids the tannin structure and aromatics of the wine. The total time on skins ranging from 18-28 days. The wine was aged in fine grain French oak: 22% new, 33% 1 year old and 45% 2-5 year old barriques for approximately 12 months. 

The 2018 - 2019 growing season returned to more classic conditions with warm (but not hot) days and cool nights. Yields were normal with minimal disease pressure and we had the benefit of the classic long hang time. The cool nights helped retain the perfect level of acidity.