The Last Chance Pinot Noir - 2016

About the wine

Proprietor's Reserve

“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 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 small 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.

Tasting Notes

Vintage Comment:

The Two Paddocks 2016 harvest began on the 5^th of April 2016. Overall very clean and balanced fruit was achieved from ripening under extended settled warm autumn conditions. After a cool start to the growing season with 18 frost events in 6 weeks, the heat really only arrived after flowering in late December. Rainfall for the entire 8-month growing season of Sept-Apr was low with only 160mm received in total. February was the start of the 'big finish', which saw an average temp of 19C for the month. This flowed into March, April and May, which were all warm, settled and dry. Vintage was extraordinarily compact meaning that all harvesting was over by the 26^th of April.

Winemakers Notes:

Soils: Raw schist gravels. Clones: 115 and 5 on various rootstock.

Canopy management: VSP two cane, 4 Tonne per hectare, 80g bunches.

Oenology: Hand picked and sorted in the vineyard. One-third whole-bunch fermentation in a 3.5 tonne wooden cuve. 5 day cold soak. No commercial yeast added, ferment temperature peaked at 32° – post fermentation transferred to medium and light toast French barriques for 11 months maturation. 25% new wood and the balance in second and third fill barrels. Light filtration prior to bottling.

Savoury spicy notes, with dark red fruit, wild thyme and char aromatics. This leads to an elegant well textured palate showing great length, nuance and drive.

pH:3.6 TA:5.9 g/L Alc: 13%

Proprietor: Sam NeillViticulturist: Mike WingWinemaker: Dean Shaw

Bottled: March 2017 Production: 150 doz Cellaring: Up to12 years