2019 Whitehaven Greg Pinot Noir

WINE ANALYSIS

Alcohol: 13.5 %
Residual Sugar: 1.0 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 6.1 g/L
pH: 3.55

VITICULTURE

Vine Management: The vines were pruned to 2 canes on standard trellis with vertical shoot positioning.  During the growing season, the vines were methodically shoot thinned, trimmed, leaf plucked and fruit thinned to ensure favourable ripening, clean fruit and to maximise flavour. 

Climate: The timing of budburst was similar to previous years. The early part of the season was notable for lower sunshine hours, especially in November. With flowering in early December, the weather was very changeable, leading to some variable crop loads depending on the site. January and February were very hot and dry, withering the surrounding hills and putting pressure on irrigation systems. This also brought forward the harvest by 10-14 days. Warm, dry conditions over harvest meant the grapes could be picked with optimum flavour and without pressure from disease or rain.

VINIFICATION

Winemaking: The fruit for this wine was hand-picked at the beginning of autumn (11th-19th March, 2019). At the winery, the fruit was mostly destemmed (85%) and transferred to small open-top fermenters. A small portion of whole bunches (15%) was also incorporated into the ferment. After cold soak (which generally lasted 4-6 days), the fermentation began naturally utilizing the wild yeast found on the grapes. After a quick, warm ferment (up to 31 degrees) the wine was then pressed off and transferred to French oak barriques (27% new). After 10 months in oak, we tasted each of the barrels and selected our favourites, before finally blending the wine in tank. No filtration or fining occurred when making this wine. This Pinot Noir was bottled on the 11th March, 2020.

ACCOLADES

• 2021 Dish Magazine, NZ: Gold Medal
• "Complex and detailed bouquet with a powerful core of fruit and wood. Integrating and curious. Flavours of raspberry and cherries, vanilla and mild to moderate toasty wood characters. Great acid line (unfiltered and un-fined). Fabulous texture and length. Drinkable now but best from 2022 through 2028+." 94/100 Points, Excellent, Cameron Douglas, NZ
• "Bold and ripe dark cherries and plums abound here, as well as a redder edge of raspberry. The palate shows the generosity of the clay soils in this section of the region and has impressive blueberry and vibrant red-plum flavors." 91/100 Points, Nick Stock for James Suckling
• "Deep, ruby-red with a purple hue, faintly lighter on the rim. The nose is elegant and fragrant, penetrating aroma of thyme field, black cherries, blackberries, earth and spice intermixed. Medium-full bodied, nuances of black cherries, blackberries melded with thyme and spices, underlines subtle earthiness. The fruit is bright and juicy, supported by lively acidity and flows with good energy, and fine-grained tannin contributes to a fine structure for further development. This is an elegant, fine-structured Pinot Noir possesses bright fruit and lively acidity. Match with lamb loin and duck roast over the next 5+ years." 5 Stars, Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, NZ
• "Flagship label from a single vineyard. Dry, concentrated wine with red-fleshed plum, dark berry and a hint of fresh herbs supported by fine tannins and fruity acidity. The wine opened up as it sat in the glass and would benefit from decanting. It shows good cellaring potential." 93/100 Points, Bob Campbell, NZ