2015 PINOT NOIR
About the vintage
A dry, warm summer with record temperatures meant an excellent flowering period over December with near perfect ripening conditions and a fairly intense harvest period. The warm days were moderated by cold nights, slowing the ripening down at just the right time to allow the fruit the all-important hang time to develop its array of flavours.
The winemaking
Made from grapes from three of our company vineyards, we were able to blend to the exact style we wanted. Firstly the fruit underwent cold maceration for just under a week, prior to small-batch fermentation. After two to three weeks on skins the wine was pressed off. 75 % was matured in barrel (predominantly older oak, three to five years old) for ten months while the rest remained in tank. The wine was traditionally fined using egg white.
What the wine is like
Bright ruby red, this fruity Pinot Noir offers an enticing nose of ripe, berry fruit. It is juicy and smooth with a velvety texture and lots of sweet raspberry and cherry flavours together with a touch of spice. Gentle tannins provide backbone but don’t overpower this attractive wine. Alcohol 13.5%
When to enjoy
This is the perfect red for any occasion – gentle enough to enjoy on its own yet substantial and flexible enough to go with a wide variety of dishes. Serve at room temperature, although you can enjoy this wine after half an hour in the fridge on a warm day.
Suggested food pairings
Pinot Noir loves food, especially roast lamb, game, ham, seared salmon, seared tuna, Asian flavours and anything off the barbecue.