Wine Article
2019 Dry River Pinot Noir
Last edited on 11/17/2020 by LindsayM
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A late spring frost in October 2018 caused quite some havoc in the Martinborough region. Our vineyards suffered sporadic shoot losses, but the real damage became apparent after flowering. We experienced approximately 30% yield loss across our vineyards due to poor fruit set, probably caused by this frost. The upside here, though, is that the resulting wine shows deeper and more powerful characters, partly driven by a warm summer and benign autumn.
The colour is deep ruby red with a dark cherry-like core. Dense and intense aromatics are laced with a lifted perfume fragrance. The fruit shows cherry and blueberry pie with cassis, blackberries, and tamarillo. More complex aromas show savoury characters like straw, graphite, char, dark chocolate, pencil shavings, and even some herbs like thyme and sage. As a result, the wine is very seductive, with a degree of mystique and flair.
A degree of intimacy is immediately apparent on the palate. The initial fruit sweetness makes way for supple tannins that draw outwards from the middle. This opens the centre up for the fruit weight to show and also broadens the mouthfeel, giving the wine an approachable appearance. The wine comes together at the back via a gentle acidity in the form of cherries and tamarillo. All the time, the wine just wants to please.
The complexity of this vintage will bloom after five to eight years of age.
pH 3.56
T.A. 6 g/L
R.S. <2.0g/L
Alcohol 13 % VOL
Harvest 11th – 20th March 2019
The colour is deep ruby red with a dark cherry-like core. Dense and intense aromatics are laced with a lifted perfume fragrance. The fruit shows cherry and blueberry pie with cassis, blackberries, and tamarillo. More complex aromas show savoury characters like straw, graphite, char, dark chocolate, pencil shavings, and even some herbs like thyme and sage. As a result, the wine is very seductive, with a degree of mystique and flair.
A degree of intimacy is immediately apparent on the palate. The initial fruit sweetness makes way for supple tannins that draw outwards from the middle. This opens the centre up for the fruit weight to show and also broadens the mouthfeel, giving the wine an approachable appearance. The wine comes together at the back via a gentle acidity in the form of cherries and tamarillo. All the time, the wine just wants to please.
The complexity of this vintage will bloom after five to eight years of age.
pH 3.56
T.A. 6 g/L
R.S. <2.0g/L
Alcohol 13 % VOL
Harvest 11th – 20th March 2019