Vintage conditions

Spring rain cooled the soil and gave the vines a slow start. Flowering wasn’t ideal, leading to small bunches and lots of leaf growth so extensive canopy work was required to ensure even ripening. Summer came through in the new year with a particularly dry and hot February, bringing harvest in with pristine fruit that had great concentration, but very small volumes. The Vineyard Ferment is made from Dijon clones 115, 667, and 777 on the north facing clay slopes. All organically managed and hand
harvested.

Vinification details

Hand picked and fermented outside in the vineyard rows where the fruit was grown.  A separate destemmer is used, that lives in the vineyard so the fruit never leaves the rows. The fruit is allowed to start fermentation in its own time and responds to the rhythm of the season. Therefore the fermentations are driven not only by indigenous vineyard yeast but also the ambient temperatures. The vintage influence on the wine itself is extended. The grapes are gently hand plunged in the vats once per day and then allow a short maceration post-ferment for balance and harmony. The young wine is then aged for 15 months in aged oak barrels before being estate bottled – unfined and unfiltered.

Video

Dom Maxwell on Vineyard Ferments

Vintage conditions

The first week of November and the month of December were very hot and dry – perfect conditions for flowering. The vines produced a solid crop with large bunches. Careful leaf plucking to open the canopy and significant bunch thinning was required to ensure quality targets were met. Rain in January and February gave the soils a top up and ensured canopies stayed healthy. Overall one of the warmest seasons of the last 10 years produced beautiful, healthy Pinot bunches with great flavour intensity.

Vinification details

Hand picked and fermented in the vineyard in the rows where the fruit was grown. Fruit was allowed to start fermentation in its own time and respond to the rhythm of the season, as a result, fermentation was driven not only by indigenous vineyard yeast but also the ambient temperatures. The vats were gently hand plunged once a day and then allowed a short maceration post-ferment for balance and harmony. The young wine was aged for 15 months in older oak barrels before being estate bottled.

Video

Dom Maxwell on Vineyard Ferments

Vintage conditions

The 2017 growing season followed on from a 12-month drought in North Canterbury. The spring was warm, windy and frost free. Excellent conditions over flowering led to even fruit set and a good number of bunches.

Vinification details

Harvested and destemmed with twenty percent left as whole bunch. Four fermenters were placed in the vineyard with a mix of Dijon clones and the fruit was plunged daily for twenty eight days until fermentation was finished. A cool autumn meant a long cold soak at the beginning but fermentation went through quickly before the cap fell. The wine was then pressed off and aged in old barriques for fifteen months to allow development but retain fruit influence. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.