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Details
Mangatahi
From the great Two Terraces Vineyard run by Linda and Ian Quinn. This vineyard sits on ancient river terraces formed by the braided Ngaruroro River. Planted in 2006, the terraces are made up of greywacke stone with a topsoil based of volcanic ash, alluvial gravels and silt loams.
Located inland and between two mountain ranges the organically farmed vineyard benefits from low rainfall, warm days and cool nights.
Season
Two cool seasons prior to 2024, coupled with a reasonably wet and cold spring of 2023 led to low bunch numbers and a long flowering period. Small, open bunches and low yields were the result, which isn’t a great thing for the wallet but is amazing for quality.
The rest of the 2024 season was near perfect, with bright, warm days and cool nights producing amazingly balanced and vibrant fruit characters while holding on to brilliant texture and acidity.
Winemaking
Gamay – 75%
Pinot noir - 25%
Handpicked fruit was picked early in the morning to maintain freshness. The Gamay and Pinot noir were tipped directly to open fermenters to undergo 100% whole bunch co-fermentation. The ferments were wrapped up and left to go start wild ferment carbonically for 6 days, before foot stomps every two days were performed to extract more tannin and flavour.
After 18 days on skins the wine was gently pressed to tank for a few days settling. It was then racked to old 500L puncheons for malolactic fermentation and ageing at cool temps. After a total of 6 months of barrel maturation the wine was racked to tank, with a small sulphur addition, for a further 2 months, before bottling in early December 2024.
No fining or filtration.
Alc - 12.5%
Cherries, dark plum with savoury, earthy and spice notes. A lush yet fresh palate with a medium body and a nice lick of tannin. Natural acidity and a light, tea like bitterness adds length and complexity.