Black Estate Damsteep Waipara Pinot Noir 2021

Black Estate Damsteep Waipara Pinot Noir 2021French oak Mulberry & plum Vanilla & sea spray Unfined & unfiltered Deep Ruby hue. Fragrant aromas of black raspberry, mulberry, dark plum, sandalwood, vanilla and sea spray. Supple and elastic mid pallet tannins that are contained with bright, crisp, and pure minerality. Typical white rock tension creates a long and vibrant finish. This is an un fined and unfiltered wine with small amounts of sediment. Please allow the bottle to stand and settle

• French oak
• Mulberry & plum
• Vanilla & sea spray
• Unfined & unfiltered

Deep Ruby hue. Fragrant aromas of black raspberry, mulberry, dark plum, sandalwood, vanilla and sea spray. Supple and elastic mid pallet tannins that are contained with bright, crisp, and pure minerality. Typical white rock tension creates a long and vibrant finish. This is an un-fined and unfiltered wine with small amounts of sediment. Please allow the bottle to stand and settle before pouring. Decanting will allow maximum expression of aroma and purity of fruit to emerge. Drink now to 2030.

The Damsteep Vineyard is located in the north east of Waipara Valley at the foot of the Omihi Saddle in North Canterbury. This Pinot Noir is grown on a 5.5 hectare vineyard with 9 different parcels of various north-east, north, and northwest facing slopes, with an altitude between 140 to 180 meters above sea level. The vines here were planted in 2000 and grow on clay overlying fractured limestone and sandstone soils. Organic and biodynamic farming practices have been used since 2012. The Damsteep Vineyard has been fully certified organic with BioGro since March 2017.

Winter and early spring rainfalls meant vines started the growing season inspring with adequate soil moisture. Very cold night time temperatures in late September and mid October caused significant frost damage across many vineyards in North Canterbury. Once vineyards rebounded rapid vegetative growth kept vineyard teams busy with shoot thinning, undervine cultivation, and organic spray rounds with short intervals.

Weather at flowering was unfavourable with rain and cool temperatures lowering fruit set and further reducing potential yield. Warm dry conditions in January and February slowed vegetative growth. Small bunches ripened fast with accelerated sugar accumulation leading to an early start to harvest. Harvest was done by hand and fruit was ripe and clean with low disease pressure. Harvest across our three vineyards was rapid and completed in settled weather resulting in high quality fruit with good ripeness and bright acidity.

100% De-stemmed, not crushed, 70% Whole berries. 4 days cold soak at ambient temperature. Yeast for fermentation was propagated from a vineyard starter. Fermentation lasted 10 to 12 days with hand or foot plunging one to 2 times per day. Pressed after 27 days on skins and drained to tight grained French 500 and 228 Litre barrels 3 to 10 years old. Malo-lactic fermentation was completed in spring. 12 months barrel maturation, then racked to stainless steel tank where the wine settled for 4 months. Bottled without fining or filtration. 50ppm Sulphites added.