Opawa Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016

Opawa Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016"Ruby red colour with purple hues and some depth, lighter on the rim. The nose is fresh and aromatic with pretty, fragrant fruit aromas of dark red cherries and raspberry fruit along with bright florals. This has vibrancy and good depth, unfolding subtle notes of fresh herbs in the glass. Medium full bodied, the palate is elegant and slender in proportion showing a tight ly bound and concentrated core of dark cherries, raspberry liqueur with fragrant

"Ruby-red colour with purple hues and some depth, lighter on the rim. The nose is fresh and aromatic with pretty, fragrant fruit aromas of dark-red cherries and raspberry fruit along with bright florals. This has vibrancy and good depth, unfolding subtle notes of fresh herbs in the glass. Medium-full bodied, the palate is elegant and slender in proportion showing a tight ly bound and concentrated core of dark cherries, raspberry liqueur with fragrant floral elements. The has juiciness and richness and is enlivened by brisk acidity, and the wine flows along a finely-textured, extracted line with good energy, leading to a pretty, fruit finish of cherry, raspberry and floral notes. This is an elegant, aromatic-fruited Pinot Noir with bright cherry, raspberry and floral flavours on a fresh, fine-textured palate. Serve with poultry and pork, and Asian fare over the next 3+ years. Pinot Noir fruit, 71% from the ‘Ballochdale’ vineyard, Awatere, and 29% from a Wrekin Road site in the Southern Valleys, destemmed and fermented with a portion of whole, uncrushed berries to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 10 months in approx. 15% new French oak" Raymond Chan, Jul 2017

"This is fabulously fragrant on the nose showing red cherry, raspberry, clove and floral characters with a hint of nutty complexity. The palate delivers juicy fruit intensity and fine texture, offering lovely fruit purity together with fine tannins, finishing persistent and silky. Delightfully drinkable. At its best: now to 2021" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2017

A medium bodied and beautifully balanced Marlborough Pinot Noir. The nose shows fruit characters of ripe plums and wild blackberries with savoury spices and a hint of toasty oak. Elegant and juicy on the palate, it displays red fruit flavours and hints of liquorice accompanied by soft, fine tannins. This wine has an elegant structure, silky texture and juicy acidity to give freshness, and it culminates in a lingering finish.

Meaning 'smoky river' in Maori, Opawa is a vineyard located on the old river bed of the historic Opawa River in Marlborough. The stony river gravels absorb the sun’s warmth during the day, radiating it back onto the grapes at night, evolving the delicious aromas and flavours in these wines. Our grapes are picked in the cool of night, under the moonlight, to ensure these pristine flavours are perfectly preserved in our wines.

This wine was made from selected premium vineyards in our dedicated Pinot Noir Cellar using principles of minimal handling and gravity flow. After a cold soak and indigenous fermentation the wine was pressed into French oak barriques for maturation, before being clarified and bottled in February 2017.