Leah Pinot Noir – 2015

A blend from all of our vineyard sites, Leah is named after Michael Seresin’s daughter.

The fruit comes mostly from the Noa vineyard, which is made up of Waimakariri type soils of alluvial origin, with a small amount also from the clay-rich hillside Raupo Creek vineyard in the Omaka Valley.

A cool start to the year, with some late frosts, but the weather was settled for flowering and fruit set.  The summer was warm and very dry, resulting in berries and bunches being smaller than average.  Harvest took place in good conditions, resulting in fruit which showed aromatic ripeness as well as a balanced, fresh acidity.

The fruit was hand-picked, destemmed and cooled, the juice was warmed and fermented with wild yeast, and the caps hand-plunged daily during fermentation.  The wine was left on skins for 4-5 weeks, then drained, lightly pressed and transferred to aged French oak barriques. The wine went through natural malolactic fermentation during 11 months maturation, before it was bottled lightly filtered and unfined.

• Exhibits bright, fragrant berry-fruit aromas, interlaced with spice and herbal notes.
• The wine is focused and concentrated, with a succulent fruit core, framed by fine-grained tannins and mouth-watering acidity.
• An elegant and understated style with immediate appeal, but structure to last.

• Made from Pinot Noir grapes.
• Vine age – from vines over 20 years on average in 2015.
• Grown on soils of mixed alluvial silt, gravel and clay.
• Fermented in French Oak Barriques using wild yeast.
• Aged in French barriques, approximately 15% new.
• Aged for 11 months.
• Bottled lightly filtered and unfined.

• Variety:  Pinot Noir
• Vineyard:  85% Noa, 15% Raupo Creek
• Oak:  11 months
• Bottling Date:  October 21, 2016
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• RS:  1.5 g/l
• PH:  3.71
• TA:  5.6 g/l
• Total SO2:  55 ppm