Single Vinyard Pinot

2003 First Paddock Pinot Noir

"Taumatkouru: Matagouri or Wild Irishman"

Our first small family vineyard, nestled in the heart of the Gibbston area, is dedicated entirely to premium Pinot Noir. Low-yielding vines allow the grapes to slowly ripen in the classic and cool-climate manner. As in the vineyard, the wine is largely handmade and matured in small French oak barrels.

The wine shows vivid fruit, weighty warmth and savoury aromatics with good complexity and roundness. This is a distinguished and charming Central Otago Pinot Noir.

Vintage and Harvest Notes
After a mild winter and relatively early spring, the weather changed to cooler and a little wetter than normal. The cool weather slowed the advent of flowering, which was delayed until around December 10th. Then kinder weather prevailed and produced a solid flowering.

Some real Central Otago sunshine finally kicked in at the start of January and turned the season around. We experienced some long sustained warm periods punctuated by short, very cold periods, and many light frosts towards the end of the season. This excellent weather helped to lift the flavour profile and colour of the berries.

Harvesting occurred at Gibbston on the 30th of April and May 1st, 2nd, 5th
and 6th, 2003.

Winemaking Notes
Excellent weather produced fruit that put a smile on Dean's face; that is, fruit that required little work in the winery.

Five different ferments were undertaken using all natural yeast. After a 28 day average fermentation which included cold soak, fermentation and post maceration, the wine was put in barrels, 30% of which were new French oak and the remainder 1 to 3 year old French casks. The wine was aged for 11 months and bottled 24 March 2004.

Vineyard: Stephen and Jim Moffitt, Winemaker: Dean Shaw.

Drink: 2004 – 2008

Availability: 2004

Reviews

2003 Two Paddocks First Paddock Pinot Noir 17 ½ (****) Central Otago, New Zealand: 13.5% $38 [screwcap; cold-soak, fermentation and cuvaison totalled 28 days, 10 months in French oak 30%]

Big pinot noir ruby, markedly deeper than the Last Chance wine. Benefits from decanting, to reveal a deeper and heavier wine all round than its companion. Bigger is not necessarily better however, and there are suggestions of sur-maturité and dark plumminess, rather than cherries and florals. Palate is rich and velvety, and for those to whom weight on palate is more important than beauty of bouquet, this wine will rate higher than the Last Chance. Cellar 5 – 15 years. Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews , April 2005

© Copyright 2005, Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews, posted with the authors's permission.