TerraVin Pinot Noir 2012

The current vintage for the TerraVin Pinot Noir is 2012. This vintage had restricted flowering and fruit set due to a cool spring and the coldest summer for many years resulting in very low yields. Fortunately from late March we enjoyed a classic Marlborough ‘Indian Summer’ which allowed the smaller berries and low bunch numbers to ripen evenly. This resulted in excellent concentration of flavour and balance; the only downside was the lower volume.

Harvesting details

Hand harvested into 10kg bins

Harvested between 3rd April and 1st May

Brix 22.3° - 23.2°

6 tons per hectare, 32 HL / Hectare

In the bottle

100% Pinot Noir

13.0% alcohol by volume | TA: 6.2 g/L | pH: 3.71 g/L

Reviews

Lisa Perrotti-Brown M.W., Wine Advocate – E Robert Parker – December 2014                                 93+/100

Pale ruby with a hint of purple, the 2012 Pinot Noir opens with notes of tar, Ceylon tea and rose hips accenting a core of cranberries, red cherries and game. Medium-bodied and delicately fruited in the mouth, it has a quiet intensity and plenty of layers with silky tannins and a long, lively finish.

Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide 2015                                                                      ★★★★

The 2012 vintage was matured in French oak casks (23 per cent new). Ruby-hued, it is a fragrant, medium to full-bodied red with moderately concentrated, cherry, plum and spice flavours, some herbal notes, and balanced tannins. Drink mid-2015+.

Raymond Chan, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz – February 2015                                                    ★★★★  18/20

Dark ruby-red colour with some depth and lighter garnet hues on rim.  The nose is firmly concentrated and solid in presentation with full aromas of savoury dark red berry fruits complexed by dried herb and secondary undergrowth notes.  The fruit is lifted by red floral elements.  Medium-full bodied, the palate is rich, plush and soft in density with well-packed flavours of savoury red berry fruits lifted by floral elements.  Layers of dried herbs, undergrowth and a suggestion of game add interest.  The mouthfeel is soft but well-structured with plenty of underlying extraction to match the fruit sweetness, carrying the savoury flavours to a long, solid and textured finish.  This is a fulsome, solid and rich Pinot Noir with plenty of structure and complex, savoury red fruit.  Serve with lamb, beef, venison and slow-cooked game meat over the next 5-6+ years.  Clones 5, 114, 115, 667 and 777, 69% from THV, 28% from the ‘Cowley’ and 3% from the ‘Eaton’ sites, destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine spending 12-16 months in 22% new oak.  18.0+/20  Feb 2015