Kina Beach Reserve Pinot Noir 2013

Intense colour with black cherries and plums impress on the nose. A warm mouthfeel supporting the intense dark berry flavours with a hint of black chocolate and subtle oak notes. Wild fermentation and significant whole clusters yield a wine of intense perfume and a fine texture. Our coastal side is reflected in fine detailed tannin and chalky complexity.

The vines excel on rolling northerly facing slopes with free draining Moutere Clay soils of sandy loam. Modest rainfall throughout the year along with a cleansing sea breeze from both the Moutere inlet and Tasman Bay provide an excellent growing environment. No irrigation along with a rigid leaf plucking, shoot tucking, trimming and bunch thinning regime – all done by hand – ensure ample ventilation and exposure to the sun.

A hot summer characterised with great flowering, little disease pressure and even ripening led to ripe, fully laden bunches. Fruit was carefully hand-harvested prior to the mid-March rain events that dampened an otherwise near perfect growing season. The resultant fruit condition was unaffected preserving fruit flavour and setting up an exemplary wine style.

Fruit was 100% hand-harvested, destemmed and cold soaked for 4-5 days to extract flavour and colour. Natural fermentation occurred with a heavy hand batonnage regime to maximise extraction. Once fully fermented the wine was racked into French oak barrels of which 20% was new oak. Malolactic fermentation occurred in Spring and the wine bottled after ten months resting in oak with the occasional lees stirring. No fining or filtration of the wine occurred.

Released 01. January 2020. At its best now until at least 2023.