2021 Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé

VITICULTURE

Grape Growing: This Rosé is made from 100% Marlborough Pinot Noir. We source the fruit from a mix of company owned (44% Pauls Road, 25% Little Alfred), and contract grower (31% Hammond Family Trust) vineyards. Vines are pruned to two and three canes on a vertical shoot positioned trellis. Shoot thinning, leaf plucking, and trimming are used to achieve balanced vines, a healthy canopy and clean fruit. Minimal crop thinning was required in 2021 due to naturally low crops.

Climate: 2021 will be remembered as a season of two halves. The early part of the growing season was marked by two severe frost burn events which affected much of the region to varying degrees. This was followed by variable cool and wet weather through flowering, resulting in fewer berries setting per bunch, further reducing crops after the frost damage. Post-Christmas however, we could not have asked for a better season. The weather remained warm, but not hot, and we had beautiful diurnal shift leading into harvest, retaining freshness and energy in the fruit, and providing the perfect conditions for flavour development. 

Harvest Date: 12th March –18th March 2021

VINIFICATION

Winemaking: The fruit was machine-harvested, destemmed, and pressed at the winery to ensure the desired level of colour and flavour extraction. Using only the early ‘free run’ juice, fermentation was at cool temperatures with selected yeast to create a wine with pure fruit flavours and freshness.

ACCOLADES

• 5 Stars, No.4, Top 6 - Cuisine Magazine Rosé Tasting
• "I love how this wine smells like it’s going to be all sweet and fruity and cornflower confection, yet as soon as you get it in your gob, it’s deliciously dry, generously proportioned, drizzled with sea salt and shows an edge of savoury and spice and all things nice. Rolling with dried herb and quartzy minerality, it’s a beautifully balanced, crunchy-crisp style that roars with flavour." 5 Stars, Yvonne Lorkin, NZ
• "It's delicately lifted and immediately appealing on the nose showing watermelon, red apple, nectarine and white floral aromas. The palate delivers excellent fruit purity and poise, wonderfully complemented by fine texture and juicy acidity, making it delectably tasty." 5 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
• "This is a refreshing Pinot Noir Rosé shows strawberries, raspberries fruit, along with subtle details of pepper, herb and rose with mouthwatering acidity on a creamy drive. Serve as an aperitif or match with sashimi over the next 2-3 years." 92/100 Points, Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, NZ
• "Very attractive bouquet with aromas of wild flowers and red cherries, tart raspberry, we stone mineral layer and fruit tea. Equally fruity on the palate with flavours that mirror the bouquet, plenty of crisp textured acidity adds freshness and highlights the core of fruit leading to a dry finish. Plenty to like about this wine and ready for drinking from day of purchase through end of summer 2023." 91/100 Points, Premium, Cameron Douglas, MS, NZ
• "A pale-pink and quite flavoursome pinot noir rosé with cherry, raspberry and strawberry flavours supported by a thread of lively acidity. A bone-dry wine with a mouth-tingling finish." 92/100 Points, Bob Campbell, MW, NZ
• "The highly scented, impressive 2021 vintage (4.5*) is a bright pink, medium-bodied wine with fresh peach, watermelon and spice flavours, showing excellent delicacy and vibrancy, lively acidity and a dry (2.9 grams/litre of residual sugar) finish. Well worth discovering." 4.5 Stars, Michael Cooper, NZ