GIESEN MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2008

 

TASTING NOTES

Colour is a vibrant plum red. The bouquet has good intensity with hints of mushrooms and bramble with bright blackberry fruit and some spicy cherry. The Palate is medium bodied with lovely integrated oak and supple tannin.

A silky, textural structure carries through to a fruit driven, vibrant finish.

 

WINEMAKING NOTES

In 2008 Pinot Noir excelled in Marlborough with fruit in excellent condition on healthy vines. The fruit was sourced from the Giesen Waihopai Valley vineyard and contract grown fruit in the lower Brancott Valley, Giffords Road on the Northern side of the Wairau Valley and the Kaituna area on the North bank of the Wairau River. These vineyards are managed to produce approximately 2 to 3 tonne per acre with good exposure to sunlight. The fruit is regularly tasted by our winemakers and viticulturists in the lead up to harvest and picking decisions are based on a combination of flavour and fruit condition. The fruit is destemmed then held cold in tank for 7 to 9 days with short pump-overs to gently extract flavour and colour. Fermentation on skins was completed over approximately 6 days with short pump-overs to keep the cap of skins wet. When ferment was complete the wine was pressed off skins then transferred to oak barriques for an average of 8 months. The new oak component is 15% with the balance in 1 and 2 year old oak. Bottled December 2008. Remove the screwcap and allow the wine to breathe for 15 min’s before pouring or decant before consuming. Partner with spicy entrees, mushroom dishes and roasted meats.

 

WINEMAKING DATA

Harvested: 26th & 31st March and 9th & 12th April
Brix at harvest:  22.2 - 24.5º	Alcohol:  13%
Total Acidity at harvest: 7.5 to 8.85 g/L	Total Acidity in wine:  5.3 g/L
pH at harvest:  3.24 to 3.40	pH in wine:  3.62

  Winemaker

Andrew Blake