Single Vineyard Pinot

2004 The Last Chance Pinot Noir

This is our third vintage from our small Alexandra vineyard. Climatically Alexandra was more benign than Gibbston this vintage, although crop levels were affected by inclement weather late in spring and a cooler start to summer. Dominated on the nose by black cherry, spice and hints of mineral and thyme aromatics, this wine is a true expression of its terrior. The soft elegant layers of the wine roll across the palate, which is characterised, by a persistent finesse and a beguiling depth and subtlety of flavour. This elegant and distinguished Central Otago Pinot Noir will reward cellaring.

Winemaker's Notes
Fermentation was dictated by separate clonal difference. Again a mix of fermentations was used, including whole bunch selection. Fermentation occurred over a four-week period before the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels, using a mix of 30% new with a range of one to three year old barrels. The wine was aged in barrels for 11 months before bottling on May 2, 2005.

Vineyard: Stephen and Jim Moffitt.

Winemaker: Dean Shaw

Reviews: Read reviews of this wine.

Available: July 2006

Drink: 2006 – 2011

Reviews:

Cherry red, a little deeper than the First Paddock. Bouquet is more red fruits, less floral than the sister wine. Palate is firm red cherry, with a suggestion of hardness like under-ripe red plums, a little more concentrated than the First Paddock, not as concentrated the ’04 Carrick, needing to mellow in bottle a couple of years. Like the First Paddock, this too is remarkably akin to a minor Beaune or thereabouts wine, in a cooler year. Cellar 3 – 8 years. -- Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews , April 2007

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This Central Otago red is grown in Sam Neill’s second vineyard, established at Earnscleugh, near Alexandra. The 2003 vintage (***) is flavoursome, berryish and plummy, with a herbal streak and some savoury complexity. The 2004 (****) matured in French oak barriques, is full ruby, savoury, warm, with soft, full flavours of cherries, herbs and nuts, and good texture. -- Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2006

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A superb offering of a Single Vineyard Pinot Noir by Sam Neill sourced from his Alex Paddock situated in outstanding terroir, perched above the Earnscleugh Valley which is characterized by long summer days and cold clear nights. The 2004 vintage is a definite improvement on the 2003. The fruit was handpicked and given natural yeast fermentation with further aging in French barriques and given no fining and little filtration prior to bottling. A bouquet of black cherry, spice and liquorice leads to an intense silky and velvety texture with well pronounced middle palate and great purity. A little austere and tight because of its youth but it will open up during the next 3-5 years. This is no doubt the best that we've seen up to date from Sam Neill and a chance to get some excellent well priced Pinot Noir from the 2004 vintage in Central Otago. -- Accent on Wine Newsletter, July 2006