Dog Point Pinot Noir Marlborough 2015

Description

A bright perfumed, supple expression of Marlborough pinot noir from clay hill slopes. The fruit is supported by bright florals of rose and violets with crunchy red berry fruit and dried herb notes. The palate is succulent with alluring red cherry, brown spices and silky fine boned tannins.

Comprising six different pinot noir clones from vines dating back to 1983. Vines are cropped at 5 tonnes/ha (35hl/ha), hand harvested and hand sorted, prior to de-stemming (25% whole bunch included). The fruit is fermented in small stainless open top fermenters without pumping. Fermentation is conducted by indigenous yeasts over a period of 2-3 weeks prior to pressing into French oak barrels (30% new) for 18 months.

Dog Point Vineyard was established in 2002, by partners Ivan & Margaret Sutherland and James & Wendy Healy. With a passion for producing premium organic wine, Dog Point Vineyard has become widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s top producers of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The name is from early settlement of Marlborough, when sheep were introduced to the area. Without many fences, boundaries were established by dogs, some of which got lost, bred and made their home as a pack in the hills overlooking the Wairau Plains. This became known as Dog Point. Naturally, there is a pack of dogs – albeit much more friendly – always ready to greet visitors of the winery.

A key part of the organic philosophy is biodiversity on the Dog Point property and much of the land is still used for pasture and orchards, as well as thoughtful plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Older well-established vines are situated on free draining silty clay loams. This is supplemented with more recent plantings on closely planted hillside blocks on soils with a clay loam influence. All fruit is hand-picked from low cropped vines from one of Marlborough’s oldest privately established vineyards. While the Sauvignon Blanc is made in stainless steel, the Section 94, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir enjoy extended barrel ageing with minimal racking and handling.

A mild spring free of frosts was followed by a cool flowering period in December, which lead to tempered yields for much of the region. This was followed by an extremely dry and warm summer with only 10% of our typical rainfall for the months of January and February. A welcomed burst of rain fell during March, giving vitality to the vines, enabling a healthy and relaxed end to the growing season in early April. One of our earliest harvest completion dates, with all sauvignon being picked by the 4th of April.

This wine has all the makings of a long lived Marlborough pinot noir and matches perfectly with duck, red meats (particularly venison and lamb), and mushroom dishes.