Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017

COLOUR/APPEARANCE Bright deep garnet

AROMA/BOUQUET Ripe dark and red cherry, brambly fruits, spice and leather, with a hint of smoky oak.

PALATE A full-bodied wine with round, mouth-filling flavours of plum, brambly fruit, dark cherry and a hint of savoury herbs. The oak integrates nicely with the fruit and the silky and linear tannin structure.

AGING POTENTIAL Will reward careful cellaring over several years through the development of bottle age complexities and is already drinking well.

FOOD PAIRING Venison, duck, game, roasted beetroot, rare and tender lamb, and earthy wild mushrooms.

Climate: The growing season was warmer than usual and made tricky by two heavy rain events followed by extended moist conditions that necessitated a rushed harvest. Because of the low cropping levels, the grapes were ripe and ready to harvest before the rain had caused any deterioration in fruit quality, leading to typical flavour and aromas in the wine. Soils: Free-draining silty loams from the undissected older terraces, some with limestone, and loess-based clay slopes. Vine Management: Standard trellis, with pruning to two canes and vertical shoot positioning. Vines are trimmed closely, well tucked and lightly leaf plucked. Cluster thinning is used to ensure light crops with evenly ripened and balanced fruit. Harvest Date: Between 24th March and 17th April, 2017.

WINEMAKING Hand-picked fruit was de-stemmed, crushed and cold soaked for five days then fermented at warm temperature with wild yeast in small open-top vats. Traditional submerging of the ‘cap’ by hand-plunging was followed by a light pressing. The pinot noir was then aged in French oak barriques for 10 months. Bottled 7th March, 2018.