2018 Roaring Meg Pinot Noir, Central Otago
90 Points - Wine Spectator
Winemaker Notes
“Wild raspberry and red cherry characters dominate
while soft, sweet brown spice characters add in
detail. Savoury red cherry notes lead the wine onto
the palate; the wine flows with good texture. Fine,
elegant tannins rise out of the mid-palate and wild
raspberry notes drive the finish with fine acidity.”
Matt Dicey, Winemaker
Composition
100% Pinot Noir
Wine Specs
Vintage
2018
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Central Otago
Acid
4.4 g/L
pH
3.82
Aging
10 months in French oak
Alcohol %
14
Wine Spectator
90
Production Notes
The majority of the fruit was destemmed to enhance the
natural characters of the Cromwell Basin, with a small
amount of whole-cluster fruit blended in for added texture
and structure. Fermentation lasted an average of 19-21 days,
during which time the berries and juice were punched down
once per day. The wine was aged sur-lie for 10 months in
French oak barrels before being filtered and bottled (unfined)
that summer.
Vineyard Notes
One of the world’s southernmost winegrowing regions,
Central Otago is New Zealand’s only region with a
semi-continental climate. Extreme seasonal and diurnal
temperature variations yield consistently generous, ripe and
beautifully balanced Pinot Noir. The grapes for the 2018 Pinot
Noir come from Cromwell Basin vineyards managed by our
viticultural team. 2018 was warmer in Central Otago, even though the season
had a distinctly cool bend to it. A warm, wet spring kicked off
the growing season in style with very early bud-burst. Just as
we were entering into flowering, the weather got very cool,
which resulted in lower than average yields. Harvest began on
March 7 and finished up April 7.