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Proprietor's Reserve, Two Paddocks 'The Last Chance' Pinot Noir Alexandra 2021

Tasting Notes

A seamless example of the Last Chance vineyard, showing brilliance, clarity and poise.

About the Wine

“We grow our premium Two Paddocks Pinot Noir entirely on our four small vineyards in Central Otago. In some exceptional vintages, listening carefully, we realise that one of these sites may have something extraordinary to say in its own right. It is only then that we will make one of these very rare single vineyard wines.” - Sam Neill, Proprietor

The Last Chance is a beautifully sited two-hectare terrace perched in bright clear air above the Earnscleugh Valley, carefully planted with well-tended Burgundian clone pinot noir. It nestles amongst a small cluster of the World’s most southerly vineyards and takes its name from the watercourse that runs through its heart, hand dug by gold miners in the 1860s, The Last Chance. Soils are raw schist gravels that are low in fertility and require careful nurturing.

LIMITED QUANTITIES: TWO BOTTLE MAXIMUM PURCHASE

Vintage Comments

Vintage 2021 was characterised by climatic variation extremes throughout spring and early summer and then developing into a fantastic finish, with a long stable mid-summer / autumn warm period, right up to and over harvest. At the start of the season, a cold winter continued into a dry warm spring with steady vine shoot growth.

The grapes flowered over Dec 2020, which was warmer than last year but with intermittent rain that resulted in only half the vineyard blocks achieving desired crop loads. The first week of January saw a significant rain event and that set the vineyards up with optimum soil moisture levels for the rest of the season. There was some typical early and late in the season frost fighting, but the vine canopies stayed resilient and green with harvest staring a week earlier than typical on the 30th of March and finishing on the 22nd April.

WINE MAKER NOTE: Picked on the 8th of April 2021 and sorted in the vineyard. Clonal selection predominantly 86% clone 115 and 14% clone 5. 79% whole-bunch fermentation in a 3.5 tonne French oak cuve. 7-day cold soak at 7-12 degrees Celsius. Indigenous yeast added. 24 days left on skins with one plunge per day. Fermented for 9 days between 17- 33 degrees Celsius – post fermentation 7day maceration at 26 – 30 degrees Celsius. Settled for 4 days before being transferred to medium and light toast French barriques for 11 months maturation(11% new oak).

PH Level3.49
Total Acidity6g/l
Alcohol13.5%
BottledFebruary 2022
Cellaring2023 - 2030
WinemakerDean Shaw
ViticulturistMike Wing
Total Production200 cases

Reviews & Awards

Susy Atkins, Decanter
94 Points
From the southerly Last Chance vineyard. Intense red fruits – ripe strawberry, red cherry, redcurrant – with dried thyme amid the garrigue woody herbals. Lively acidity and a long finish. Will evolve slowly.
SILVER
SILVER92 Points
Supple wine with floral/violet, dark cherry/berry, vanilla with a a structure of fine tannins balanced by a touch of fruit/alcohol sweetness. Accessible wine that would benefit from a little bottle age. Drinking 2023 - 2029
From a vineyard just 2 km away from the base of operations. One of most southerly vineyards in the world. Vegy nose. Transparent and lively though perhaps with a little less undertow than Gibbston Valley’s Le Maitre but beautiful texture. Dry, very long finish. Admirable build-up on the end. Drinking 2023 - 2030
James Suckling
95 Points
Fresh red currants, wild strawberries and rose hips followed by zesty citrus peel and cedar. Medium-bodied, refreshing acidity and firm yet finely-grained tannins. Underlying complex and savory minerality of mushrooms and wet leaves on the palate and finish. Serious depth and length. Piquant and zesty. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

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Contact Us

EMAIL
[email protected]

PHONE
+64 3 449 2756

TWO PADDOCKS LTD.
PO Box 506
Alexandra 9340
Central Otago
New Zealand

License

Sale of Liquor License Ref: OF129
Licence No. 67/OFF/30/2022
Expires 24th August 2025

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