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Auntsfield Estate

2022

Pinot Noir

Marlborough - New Zealand

About

It is quite rare that a Marlborough winery has a greater following for Pinot Noir than Sauvignon Blanc, but that is the case with Auntsfield. Pinot Noir is really the Cowleys’ passion and it shows with this wine. The 2022 season had regular rainfall and excellent growing conditions for the vines. This resulted in strong canopies but a smaller than average crop of grapes to harvest. The wet spring period over flowering lead to small berries and bunches, but rewarded vineyards who strive for lower cropping levels through meticulous canopy management. There was a slow progression into autumn with a drawn-out ripening period where the small crop of fruit reached optimum ripeness.

This wine was made with a minimalist philosophy, designed to reveal the characteristics of the grapes and the vineyard. The fruit was hand-harvested, hand-sorted, gently de-stemmed and gravity-fed to tank. About 70% remained as whole berries while the rest was crushed. The juice fermented with both indigenous yeast from Auntsfield vineyard and an inoculated yeast strain. Careful hand plunging was utilized to gently extract flavors and tannins from the skins over three weeks. Maturation occurred in French oak barriques (a small portion new) for 10 months before bottling with just a gentle crossflow filtration and small sulfur addition. No fining.

 

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
  • Vineyard: Auntsfield Estate
  • Vine Age: 23-years-old
  • Soil Type: Loess clay over greywacke rock
  • Viticulture: Sustainable (SWNZ – Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified) – Practicing Organic
  • Fermentation: Native & Inoculated – stainless-steel (70% whole-berries, 30% crushed)
  • Skin Contact: up to 3 weeks
  • Aging: 10 months in French barriques (20% new)
  • Alcohol: 13.5%
  • pH: 3.66
  • Total Acidity: 5.3 g/L
  • Total SO2: 45 ppm
  • Total Production: 917 cases
  • UPC: 9421020691275

Tasting Note

Lively scents of black cherry and blueberry mingle with hints of dried rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied and juicy, with smooth tannins and refreshing acidity leading to a long, satisfying finish. This wine is downright captivating and sure to improve with age.

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