About the wine
The flagship from Two Paddocks - an Estate Grown, barrel selection produced from three small Neill family vineyards in Central Otago. These vineyards are high-density planted in a range of clonal material and intensively manhandled with most vineyard practices carried out by hand. As in the vineyard, the wine is hand crafted using traditional methods including a 25% whole bunch indigenous fermentation and hand plunging. It is then matured in French barriques for 11 months, using a mix of older and new (25%) barrels.
Tasting Notes
Vintage Comment:
A good start to the season with healthy well balanced canes being laid on all three vineyard blocks with appropriate bud numbers, but growing then got off to a slow start with cooler than normal temperatures in late spring. The resulting bunches from the cooler spring were of average size but made up of very small berries, which regardless of clone and rootstock ripened at much the same time after a very warm and dry autumn. March was the warmest March we have on record. Additionally there was not the normal large diurnal shift this autumn tending much more to range between 5 degrees over night to 25 degrees during the day. This seemed to be the catalyst for lovely even ripening and carried on until harvest in mid April – early May.
Winemakers Notes:
Hand harvested, 75% 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 (25% new oak) year old French medium toast barriques for a 10 month maturation, before racking and bottling.
Estate Vineyard composition: 50 % Red Bank - Alexandra, 34% The Last Chance – Alexandra, 16% The First Paddock – Gibbston.
Ripe red fruit, violet, spice and some blackcurrant brooding aromatics. This wine shows a beautiful soft and rich palate with a lovely elegant drive and persistence.
pH 3.48
TA 5.9 g/l
Alc 13.0 %
Proprietor: Sam Neill
Viticulturist: Mike Wing
Winemaker: Dean Shaw
Bottled: March 2014
Total Production: 1200 doz
Cellar: 2014 – 2022
$65.00
Reviews
| Award / Reviewer | Date | Rating | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jancis Robinson MW, The Financial Times | Oct 2016 | 16 Points | |
Fresh, sweet, glacé cherry fruit that's delightfully friendly, fresh and lively. Easy peasy to like and admire - until one tastes its smarter siblings. At the winery, the 2014 is the current release but this is still a charmer. |
Share | ||
| Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast | Aug 2015 | 91 Points | |
This supple, silky Pinot will win friends for the variety. Bold plum and cherry fruit is sappy and spicy, with ample weight in the mouth and a long mouthwatering finish. |
Share | ||
| James Suckling.com, Nick Stock – Contributing Edit | May 2015 | 94 Points | |
Intense bright purple cherry fruits, plums, lots and lots of strawberries and raspberries and some maraschino; there is such depth on the nose. The palate has beautifully soft and supple tannins that sit smooth and even. This is flavorsome, tidy and balanced. |
Share | ||
| Michael Cooper | Apr 2015 | ||
The lovely 2013 vintage (5*) is the finest yet. Grown in the company's vineyards at Alexandra (84 per cent) and Gibbston (12 per cent), it was matured for 10 months in French oak casks (25 per cent new). Instantly attractive, it is sweet-fruited and youthful, with rich, vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and obvious potential. Savoury, supple and very harmonious, it should be at its best 2016+. |
Share | ||
| Cameron Douglas MS, The Shout NZ March 2015 | Mar 2015 | ||
Bold and expressive bouquet that captures the scents of plush and juicy ripe red fruit, a dry stone and schist-like minerality and Otago sweet air laced with new and older oak. On the palate – dry, but immediately juicy with red fruit and plenty of acidity; medium+ fine tannins add texture and complexity; longish finish, expertly crafted.
|
Share | ||
| Bob Campbell MW, BobsWineReviews | Feb 2015 | Gold 95 Points | |
A blend of Gibbston and Earnscleugh/Alexandra grapes showing typical herby, savoury characters of these two cool Otago sub-regions but enveloped in lush plum/cherry fruit flavours. The net effect is very appealing - quite burgundy-like and a real pleasure to drink. |
Share | ||
| Raymond Chan Wine Reviews | Oct 2014 | 18.5+ Points | |
Very dark ruby-red. Youthfully primary and tight with dark red berry fruits lifted by floral perfumes. Unfolds complexing whole bunch notes. Beautifully succulent fruit, sweet and aromatic, with layers of floral and herb nuances. Finesse on palate with fine tannins. Exudes class. |
Share | ||