1 grams/litre residual sugar.
12.50%
The fruit was machine-harvested in the last week of March 2006 from three and four year old vines. Yield was low at approximately 1 kg per vine due to low vigour soils and young vine age. Whole clusters were de-stemmed but not crushed and transferred to tank to cold soak for 10 days.
Primary fermentation for 15 days in stainless steel with maximum skin contact through plunging and temperature maintained to a maximum of 28 degrees. Malolactic fermentation commenced in tank but finished in barrel. 20% new French oak but mainly second & third year fine-grained French oak. Matured in oak for seven months before bottling.

This wine is from Ara, Marlborough, New Zealand - an ancient river terrace formed through unrelenting geological processes. Ara represents an extraordinary convergence of environment and people. The vision is to harness the land's unique potential, embracing old and new world philosophies, to shape a new world standard in wine. The Waihopai River terraces on both sides of the river are newer vineyard sites. With a greater diurnal temperature profile and higher proportion of clay in the soils and gravel fans, this area offers premium sites for growing a more consistent and distinctive Pinot Noir style from Marlborough.

Typical dried cherry Pinot smell. Young and needs a little more time. Perfectly fresh and lovely but there's nothing secondary about the flavour. Grapes and oak.


222 stores
07/10/2008

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