Current Tasting Notes
Our 2010 pinot noir is deep garnet in colour with warm rosy hues. The complex bouquet offers layers of dark berries and cherry, cinnamon, sweet leather, fresh herbs and soft tobacco. The palate is plush and round on entry. Ample red and black fruit, including
rhubarb, bramble fruit and cranberry, is balanced with notes of fresh mushroom,
white pepper and savoury spice. We love this vintage’s delicate and lacy tannin structure- and its bright acidity gives delicious lift to the lingering finish.
Vineyard Notes
Grapes for this wine were sourced from our preferred vineyard sites located within the southern Wairau Valley including our Mustang and Barracks vineyards. The soils are of a clay base with aged alluvial gravels that provide good drainage. This soil structure allows a relatively consistent availability of water to the vines through the summer months, minimising water stress to the pinot noir vines. Our vines are all pruned and trained to two-cane, vertically shoot positioned canopies with an average yield of 5 tonnes/hectare.
Production Notes
Six clones of pinot noir were hand harvested with ripe fl avours and moderate sugar levels. The fi rst of our fruit was picked on April 2nd with the harvest completed on April 16th. Fruit was received at the winery in exceptional condition. Composition of fruit averaged 24.5 brix with thicker than usual skins.
Winemaker Notes
All fruit was de-stemmed into our small open top stainless steel tanks and, after a pre-fermentation cold soak of several days, the fermentations commenced with naturally occurring yeast and at a maximum temperature of 32°C. We plunge caps during fermentation to ensure gentle and complete extraction of tannins, colour and fl avours. Following three weeks on skins, each batch was transferred into French oak barrels, approximately 40% new, for 12 months of maturation. Individual components are tasted and scrutinized to determine our final blend. Analysis at time of bottling shows an alcohol content of 14.3%, pH of 3.65 and TA of 5.8 g/L.
Ratings
94 Points
Wine Orbit ~ 2011 December
“Beautifully perfumed, this young Pinot is immensely appealing with red/black cherry, game, spice and subtle cedary oak characters. The palate is elegant yet concentrated with silky texture and fine, lingering finish. Lovely poise.” - Sam Kim
94 Points
Wine Taste ~ 2011 November
“Pinot noir has found a new lease on life at Cloudy Bay. Maker Nick Lane reckons not one of the 2002 pinot batches he tasted on his second day here would make it into the blend today. It’s a new world now, with new vineyards, new clones, older vines, a little whole bunch (less than 15%) and winemaking that dares to let the juice sit on its skins to pick up more tannin, colour and flavour. In an impressive season like 2010, the result is a pinot noir of delicacy and elegance yet confidence and focus. Layers of mixed spice meet succulent black cherries and berry compote on the bouquet, while delightful red cherries are the theme of the palate. Finely structured, understated, silky tannins and great persistence promise cellaring potential. ” - Tyson Stelzer
