Pinot Noir Lime Hill Vineyard 2019

Tasting note by Raymond Chan: The nose is ethereal and enticing, deep aromas of herb, dried hibiscus, interwoven with dark cherries, plums, strawberries and a mineral lift. Medium-bodied, sweet aromas of dark cherries, young plums and ripe strawberries enriched by dark herb, liquorice and spice, followed by earth and mineral crunch.

Velvety tannin provide good grip, entwined with minerals and spice. This is an immensely perfumed Pinot Noir with excellent concentration and elegance, a velvety mouthfeel and long-lasting finish.

Lime Hill Vineyard is a very special location in the Wairarapa Valley in New Zealand. It is situated on a hill east of Masterton, facing west at an optimal altitude with a wonderful panorama over the valley. The terroir consists of a heavy, clayey soil with a lot of limestone.

Heavy, clayey soil with a lot of limestone.

Hand picked. There were big problems with oidium so intensive selection of the grapes and berries was needed.

Skin contact fermentation with some whole bunches for 3 weeks followed by maturation in new oak barrels for 12 months.

A great wine with great potential for the future. Especially because of the low yields and this special soil, the wine appears very firm and closed in its youth. With a few years of maturation it opens up more and more.