Quartz Reef Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017

Quartz Reef Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017Oaked Dark cherry Floral notes Subtle herb "Fragrantly aromatic Pinot Noir with ripe cherry, plum, spice and subtle oak flavours. An elegant wine with appealing purity and suppleness. There is also a suggestion of floral character, perhaps red rose? Delicious now but no rush" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Mar 2019 "Very good colour and the wine is all round bright, fresh, clean and lovely. The tannins are softer here than in the past,

• Oaked
• Dark cherry
• Floral notes
• Subtle herb

"Fragrantly aromatic Pinot Noir with ripe cherry, plum, spice and subtle oak flavours. An elegant wine with appealing purity and suppleness. There is also a suggestion of floral character, perhaps red rose? Delicious now but no rush" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Mar 2019

"Very good colour and the wine is all-round bright, fresh, clean and lovely. The tannins are softer here than in the past, although it's till highly structured. Tannins are less blocky and the wine less extracted. Delicious Pinot; superb quality" Huon Hooke, Real Review, Jan 2019

"Certified biodynamic, the refined, youthful 2017 vintage was estate-grown at Bendigo, hand-picked and matured in French oak barriques (28% new). Deeply coloured, it is invitingly perfumed, with strong, ripe flavours, vibrant and supple, excellent complexity, and a long finely poised finish. Already drinking well, it should be at its best from 2021 onwards" Michael Cooper, May 2019

"Fresh, supple and rounded with sweet red cherry and raspberry fruit. Has nice polish and texture but also good structure and acidity. Ripe, expressive, elegant and grown up" Jamie Goode, Feb 2019

"This is a very good Pinot, delivering a mix of powerful fruit and a focused structure. Violets and ripe red cherries sit amid gently stony, flinty nuances, leading to a palate that has a succulent, lithe and juicy core of vibrant cherries and chalky tannins. Great Pinot" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Oct 2018

A divine ruby red in colour, with intense cherry and berry aromas. This Pinot Noir is rich on the palate with dark cherry, subtle floral and herbaceous notes. An excellent depth, fine tannins and a long vibrant finish make this wine particularly memorable.

This wine is from a BioGro certified organic and Demeter certified biodynamic estate vineyard located in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. The vineyard was planted in 1998 after careful site selection. The soils on the beautiful north facing slope are Waenga fine sandy loam and Letts steepland soil with an elevation of 2017 - 264 metres, on 44.55o South.

Although the Central Otago Summer was cooler and windier than usual, the fruit proudly ripended as normal. The season produced smaller bunches and lower berry weight which resulted in the grapes being concentrated with pleasing structure and weight.

Hand-picked on the 31st March and 5th April, each clone was small batch vinified with a small percentage of whole cluster per ferment. Cold soaked for up to 7 days before indigenous yeast fermentation kicked in. Gentle plunging each day, followed by post maceration of up to 11 days to ensure optimum fruit and tannin balance. Total time on skin; 23 days. Drained directly into selected French oak barriques (28% new) where the wine aged for 12 months during which wild malolactic fermentation occurs.

The winemaking was very much in keeping with the traditional practices of the Old World. The winemaker, Rudi Bauer, has combined these techniques, and his own personal understanding, to create this wonderful wine.