Mansion House Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007

COLOUR/APPEARANCE:
Deep ruby hue, dense tone.

AROMA/BOUQUET:
Rich plum and bottled cherry fruit flavours, lifted by spicy, cherry oak and underlined by a gamey complexity.

PALATE:
A medium bodied wine with a soft velvet texture, supporting dark fruit flavours and a firm, lingering finish.

 

Winemaker: Paul Gordon

Region: Marlborough

Variety: Pinot Noir

Producer: Whitehaven Wine Company Ltd

Merchant:

Winemaker Notes: The fruit was handpicked, destemmed and crushed into open vats. The fruit was partially cold soaked for three days before fermentation. During the ferment, the vats were hand plunged three times daily to ensure maximum extraction of colour and flavour, with fermentation temperature peaking at 32oC. The wine was lightly pressed immediately after ferment, and racked to French oak barriques for 10 months ageing. During this period the wine was regularly stirred on light yeast lees, and full malolactic fermentation occurred. Before bottling, the wine was fined with egg whites to ensure a soft finish.

Viticulture Notes: The vines were trained on standard trellis with cane pruning and vertical shoot positioning. The soil structure is free draining stony, silty loam. Spring was cool and wet, followed by dry months during the ripening season to the point of drought, but not too hot. This ensured a long and favourable growing season, clean fruit and intense varietal flavours.

The fruit was harvested from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys of Marlborough.

Alcohol: 12.75 %

Residual Sugar: 2.8g/l

Total Acidity: 5.5g/l

ph: 3.51

Cellaring: Should keep well if cellared in an even, cool environment for 2-3 years.

Food Match: All game and red meat dishes.