Seresin
Leah Pinot Noir – 2016
Region: New Zealand
Seresin
Michael Seresin was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but left in the 1960s, when sheep, not grapevines, covered the Wairau Plains. He settled in Italy, where he was captivated by Italian food and wine culture and began his career as a cinematographer. Over time Michael’s interest in wine developed into a passion. In the early 1990s after investigating opportunities to start a winery in Italy, he became aware of the quality wines starting to emerge from his homeland. After visiting Marlborough, and falling in love with the Marlborough Sounds, Michael purchased a home, followed by the purchase of land in the Wairau Valley. He immediately began planting vines and importing Tuscan olive varieties along with significant plantings of native plant species -and this was the beginning of Seresin’s Home Vineyard.
One of the first wineries in New Zealand to operate organic vineyards, Seresin released their first vintage in 1996. A year later, the Tatou Vineyard was purchased along with land in the Omaka Valley. Today the vineyard is known as the the Raupo Creek Vineyard. Seresin was recognized by the Marlborough District Council’s in 2009 and awarded the Marlborough Environment Award. It is certified Organic (US & NZ BioGro) and the largest Marlborough vineyard to be certified DEMETER biodynamic.
In 2018, the Tatou vineyard and winery were sold to local NZ winemakers Ben Glover and Rhyan Wardman (the inaugural assistant winemaker at Seresin). Today, the wines are made by winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington at what was the original Seresin winery and is known today as The Coterie, a winemaking hub championing small-batch, single-site wines.
Winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington graduated as a top scholar from Lincoln University with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology. She started her career at Seresin Estate and after spending time making wine in the USA, Australia and Italy she headed back to her roots. Tamara joined the Seresin Estate team just in time for the 2018 harvest.
Working with viticulturist Cameron Vawter, a passionate advocate for biodynamic farming, the focus is on precise picking decisions, embracing acidity with a focus on guiding pristine fruit through the winemaking process with minimal handling. The resulting wines are elegant, structured and a genuine reflection of their provenance.
Grapes / Soils
| Pinot Noir | Over 20 years on average in 2015 | Mixed alluvial silt |
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
The fruit comes mostly from the clay-rich hillside Raupo Creek vineyard in the Omaka Valley with a small amount also from Noa vineyard, which is made up of Waimakariri type soils of alluvial origin.
- A blend from all of our vineyard sites.
- Leah is named after Michael Seresin’s daughter.
Harvest Notes
The 2016 winegrowing vintage at Seresin Estate will be remembered for a challenging cold start with a spectacular long summer. A very long and constant frost fighting season ensured the team were under pressure from the start. Towards the end of January we were predicting a later harvest than normal, but an intense long summer followed by a dry harvest period enabled us to deliver the fruit on-time, intact and without stress. The harvest itself was fast and furious, one of the most compact we have ever experienced.
- The fruit was hand-picked, destemmed 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, 12% new.
- The wine went through natural malolactic fermentation during 11 months maturation, before it was bottled lightly filtered and unfined.
Winemaker's Notes
- 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 a mouth-watering acidity.
- An elegant and understated style with immediate appeal, but structure to last.
Wine Summary
- 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, 12% new.
- Aged for 11 months.
- Bottled lightly filtered and unfined.
Technical Information
- Variety: Pinot Noir
- Vineyard: 97% Raupo Creek, 3% Noa
- Oak: 11 months, 12% New
- Bottling Date: June 23, 2017
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- RS: 0.18 g/l
- PH: 3.6
- TA: 5.7 g/l
- Total SO2: 40 ppm
General Info
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | South Island |
| Appellation(s) | Marlborough |
| Proprietors | Michael Seresin |
| Founded | 1992, first vintage 1996 |
| Winemaker | Tamra Kelly-Washington |
| Annual Production | 21,500 9L cases |
| Farming (Sustainable, organic, biodynamic) | Certified Organic (property and wines certified by US & BioGro NZ); Biodynamic (grapes certified with Demeter) |