1997 Neill Pinot Noir

About the wine

Foundation Wine

"This one's for you, Mike." 

Tasting Notes

This wine is well-coloured and concentrated, with strong cherry and plum flavours and a subtle but complex gamy influence.

Vintage and Harvest Notes

Spring and early summer 1996 were cool with some below-average temperatures lasting two to three days. The vines started flowering on December 30. March was cool with only six days over 20° C and there were many heavy dews and light frosts. It became a little warmer in April, but the season finish abruptly with a 2.5% frost on April 22.

The slow bud burst and flowering due to relatively cool temperatures resulted in a lower than average yield. However the autumn was a typical Indian Summer which ripened the Pinot Noir grape to a very good concentration and intensity. The grapes were hand-picked in early May.

Winemaking

The wine was made initially by the late Mike Wolter and completed by winemaker Rudi Bauer. The process started with a pre-fermentation cold soak. The berries were left on their skins after fermentation until they were in harmony. Then the grapes were pressed and the wine was matured for 10 months in French oak barrels.

This vintage was started by the late Mike Wolter and completed by winemaker Rudi Bauer.