2014 Picnic Pinot Noir

About the wine

Featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, Sydney Neill – Wine Merchant, on the label, Picnic is our perennial favourite – the wine to enjoy everyday and a wonderful introduction to the pleasure of Central Otago Pinot Noir. This year 80% of the fruit was sourced from Two Paddock’s own vineyards in Alexandra and Gibbston with an inclusion of Lowburn fruit. Picnic Pinot Noir is made in a diminutive style aimed to reflect the characters that Central Otago Pinot does so very well – black and red cherry fruit, spice and a generosity that keeps you reaching for the next sip.

Tasting Notes

Vintage Comment:

A cool spring produced slow growth until November, which along with parts of December, was above average warmth. Flowering started in the first week of December and lasted over three weeks. All vines, including the Riesling, were green thinned and shoulders removed in the same pass. Very little disease pressure and we started harvesting on the 31st March at The Fusilier with the other three estate vineyard sites all being picked in the first half of April.

Winemakers Notes:

Hand harvested, 85% de-stemmed and given 5-7 pre-fermentation cold maceration. After an indigenous ferment the wine is given another 5-7 days post ferment time on skins. Wine is then transferred to 1-4 year old French medium toast barriques for a10 month maturation in predominantly older oak, before racking and bottling.

Lifted red fruit, greengage, plum and spice aromatics.  Followed by a rich textural palate showing great density of fruit with lovely elegance, charm and persistence.

Central Otago Sub-regional composition: 60% Alexandra, 30% Bannockburn, 10% Gibbston

pH  3.56 -- TA   6.0 g/l -- Alc  13.0%

Proprietor: Sam Neill

Viticulturist: Mike Wing

Winemaker: Dean Shaw

Bottled: December 2014

Cellaring: 2015 – 2019