2019 Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir

Unique wine - made in the vineyard itself

Graceful, pure & enchanting in the mouth with slippery tannins & a freshness that belies the density on the finish. Delicate nose of chalky petrichor, cinnamon and cigarbox spice with length, minerality & dark berries on the palate.

This wine started way back in 2012 when Dom Maxwell, our winemaker, first decided to experiment with an outside ferment in an attempt to ensure only the wild yeast of the vineyard itself were present for the fermentation. This began many experiments looking at the impact of the weather outside on the ferment, destemming the bunches in the vineyard and even setting concrete fermenters into the vineyard rows. 

At the 2017 Pinot Noir NZ conference Dom was asked to talk about this wine and from there people demanded to taste it. The first "Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir 2016" was released and sold out in just over 24 hours and is now one of our most sought after wines by Pinot lovers from around the world.

"Complex, savoury, natural, varietal and intrgiguin. Aromas and flavours reflect a clay stone mineral quality, dried herb savoury spices, a core of red cherry, apple and wild flowers then a gun-flint quality. Delicious, new, textured, savoury and fresh on the palate. Taut texture with tannins and acidity laying out the foundation across the palate then with an overlay of fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. Delicious, youthful, lengthy and fine. Great drinking from 2025 through 2035."

96 Points, Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier

Viticulturist's Notes
Spring rain cooled the soil & gave our vines a slow start this season. Flowering wasnt ideal, leading to small bunches and lots of leaf growth so needed extensive lcanopy work to ensure even ripening. Summer came through in the new year with a particularly dry & hot February, bringing us into harvest with pristine fruit that had great concentration, but very small volumes. Our Vineyard Ferment is made from Dijon clones 115, 667, and 777 on our north facing clay slopes. All organically managed and hand harvested.

Winemaker's Notes
Hand picked and fermented outside in the vineyard rows where the fruit was grown. This is the first year we had a separate destemmer, that lives in the vineyard so the fruit never left the rows. We allow the fruit to start fermentation in its own time and respond to the rhythm of the season. Therefore the fermentations are driven not only by indigenous vineyard yeast but also the ambient temperatures. So we are extended the vintage influence on the wine itself. We gently hand plunge the vats once per day and then allow a short maceration post-ferment for balance and harmony. The young wine is then aged for 15 months in old oak barrels before being estate bottled - unfined and unfiltered.

Serving Notes
This is Pinot in its purest form - no overt oak, very delicate fruit but with that savoury structure that we love. So aging for this we'd recommend around 5-10 years in the cellar. As for food i think you want something not too full flavoured but with plenty of Umami so roast pork belly, braised duck, or maybe stuffed Portabello Mushrooms.

Technical Notes

Vintage
2019

Varietal
Pinot Noir

Appellation
Waipara Valley North Canterbury

Alcohol
13.5

pH
3.67

Aging
drink now to 2030

Fermentation
15 months, 20% whole bunch, all in barriques but no new. Low SO2 - none added until completion of MLF

Harvest Date
2019-03-26

Bottling Date
2020-08-27

Cases Produced
392