Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir, Greystone
Fermented in the vineyard, to both capture the wild yeasts in situ and allow the vagaries of the season’s weather to place a defining mark upon the wine.
Graceful, pure & enchanting in the mouth with fine, silky
tannins and a freshness that belies the density on the finish. A delicate nose of cinnamon and cigarbox spice with length, minerality and dark berries on the palate.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
13.5 %
pH
3.80
ACIDITY
5.3 g/L
ORIGIN
New Zealand
WINEMAKER
Dom Maxwell
VARIETY
Pinot Noir
TIME IN OAK
15 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Screw top
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
Waipara
VEGETARIAN
Yes
VEGAN
Yes
ORGANIC
Yes
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.
Awards
Jancis Robinson: 17.5
Vinous: 95 pts
Green credentials
Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Certified organic by BioGro NZ.
Video
Dom Maxwell on Vineyard Ferments
Contact us to discuss
Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir, Greystone
Fermented in the vineyard, to both capture the wild yeasts in situ and allow the vagaries of the season’s weather to place a defining mark upon the wine.
Complex and earthy. The 2018 vintage shows minerality, spice and subtle wild berries on the nose. Textural with finely-integrated fruit tannins. A wine with flow, harmony and length.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
13.5 %
pH
3.76
ACIDITY
5.6 g/L
ORIGIN
New Zealand
WINEMAKER
Dom Maxwell
VARIETY
Pinot Noir
TIME IN OAK
15 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Screw top
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
North Canterbury
VEGETARIAN
Yes
VEGAN
Yes
ORGANIC
Yes
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.
Awards
Vinous: 91 pts
Bob Campbell MW: 94 pts
Jancis Robinson: 16.5
Green credentials
Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Certified organic by BioGro NZ.
Video
Dom Maxwell on Vineyard Ferments
Contact us to discuss
Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir, Greystone
Fermented in the vineyard, to both capture the wild yeasts in situ and allow the vagaries of the season’s weather to place a defining mark upon the wine.
Compelling and intense, this wine is layered with savoury flavours and juicy dense fruit. Initially fine grained in nature the palate stretches to showcase natural acidity and tension. A wine with finely-balanced weight and complexity.
Technical analysis
ALCOHOL
13.0 %
pH
3.82
ACIDITY
6.0 g/L
ORIGIN
New Zealand
WINEMAKER
Dom Maxwell
VARIETY
Pinot Noir
HARVEST DATE
April 2017
TIME IN OAK
15 months
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
Yes
CLOSURE
Screw top
BOTTLE SIZE
75cl
REGION
North Canterbury
VEGETARIAN
Yes
VEGAN
Yes
ORGANIC
Yes
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.
Green credentials
Member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Certified organic by BioGro NZ.
Contact us to discuss