Two Paddocks Pinot Noir - 2005

About the wine

Foundation Wine

A classic Central Otago Pinot Noir. This is a very rare (only 700 cases produced), handmade, cool-climate Pinot. 2005 yielded tiny amounts from our three vineyards, so this vintage is a departure from our norm and we have blended the best wine from Gibbston (First Paddock), Earnscleugh (Redbank), and Alexandra (Last Chance).

Tasting Notes

The aromatics include redcurrant, blackberry and spice, and as always it shows vivid sensuous dark fruit, a good mid palate depth with trade mark finesse, elegance and depth.

Vintage Comments:

A promising start to the season was hampered by an extremely cold period in late spring and early summer which affected flowering and fruit set. Yields were down up to 60% in some areas of the vineyard. Summer was characterised by a short sharp set of warm, if indeed hot weather in early February, but was followed by a cooler than expected autumn and difficult ripening. Early frosts in April contributed to our woes. Harvest commenced on April 18 and continued intermittently until May 12.

Winemaking

The grapes were pressed and fermented separately according to clonal variety in stainless steel open top fermenter’s using indigenous yeasts. The must was cold soaked for up to ten days and during fermentation the must was plunged up to four times daily and was followed with a 7 - 10 day post maceration period. The wine spent an average of 24 days on its skins to extract tannin, colour and aromatics before being gently drained and pressed into small French barrels (225lt). Approximately 30% were new air-dried oak barrels.

The wines rested and matured for 11 months before blending, minimal fining and filtration before bottling.

Viticulturalist: Richard Flatman

Winemaker: Dean Shaw

Available: March 2007

Drink: 2007 - 2011

Flower: Waterlillies — "Our pond takes on a gracefulness all of its own in summer."