2017 Picnic Pinot Noir

About the wine

Featuring the Proprietor’s Grandfather, Sidney 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 fruit was sourced from Two Paddock’s own vineyards in Alexandra and Gibbston and Bannockburn. 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: 

After a very mild winter the soil temperature at the beginning of Spring was warmer than usual resulting in a solid growth start with reasonable bud burst conditions. The fruit set (bunch formation) was in the first week of December and was relatively consistent.  This set up a reasonable and balanced crop load across the vineyard blocks. After this period ‘The Wind’ started and was relentless until the start of March, when thankfully the more typical warm and dry late summer weather patterns of Central Otago were experienced until harvest in April. 

Winemakers Notes:

Hand harvested, 95% de-stemmed and given 5-7 days 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 a 10 month maturation in predominantly older oak, before racking and bottling.

Central Otago Sub-regional composition: 32% Gibbston 31% Alexandra, 18% Alexandra, 19% Bannockburn.

Blackcurrant, mocha, char, spice and wild herb aromatics lead to an elegant textural wine.  This wine has great poise, tension and drive. 

pH  3.60                                  TA   6.0g/l                                Alc 13.0 % 

Proprietor: Sam Neill              Viticulturist: Mike Wing         Winemaker: Dean Shaw

Bottled: November 2017        Production: 2150 cases          Cellaring: 2017 – 2022

$34.00