Mount Dottrel Central Otago Pinot Noir 2005
Tasting description
This is a tangy and generous wine showing vibrant pure fruits of raspberry, blueberry and cherry. The lively fruit is underpinned by spicy herbal aromas and flavours that burst across the palate. Silky tannins support a firm and textural structure, the resulting fine balance reflects the terroir of the glacial schist site and the cool 2005 vintage. This wine will open up with careful cellaring.
Winemaking
The de-stemmed fruit was soaked in small open-top stainless steel fermenters for approximately 21 days to allow natural yeasts to form. Nine months of malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels followed before the wine was delicately fined with egg whites and then bottled in March 2006. The final blend comprises clones 6, 5, 115, 667 and 777.
Analysis at bottling: Alcohol 14.0% TA = 6.2 g/L pH = 3.60
We choose to enclose our wine under screw cap to ensure freshness, avoid cork taint and to enhance the ageing ability of our wine.
Viticulture notes
Our vineyard soil is mainly glacial schist – low-fertility, alluvial soils typical of the Cromwell Basin. We experience a cool climate of continental extremes – hot, dry summers with cool, dry autumns that promote intense flavour development of our fruit.
Our vines were intensively managed, with thinning, leaf plucking and bud rubbing carried out by hand to maximise fruit production. This keen individual attention combined with the cool but fine weather during harvesting ensured the grapes delivered to the winemaker were in premium condition. Hand picking of the five Pinot Noir clones began on 20 April and was staggered according to ripeness and condition, until the final picking on 5 May. Fruit composition averaged 24.5º Brix.
Food match
Mount Dottrel Pinot Noir is well suited to game dishes, venison, duck, lamb and dishes featuring mushrooms.
