Caythorpe Family Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021

Aromas of sweet plum, berries and rich florals.

Medium to full bodied, the palate features sweet cherries and plum with subtle notes of forest floor and vanillin oak. Silky tannins and balanced acidity give the wine a fresh and seamless finish.

Caythorpe Family Estate

Location - Central Wairau Plains, Marlborough Estate grown exclusively on “Caythorpe” upon light silt loam, alluvial gravel soils. The low yielding 2021 growing season was characterised by an early bud burst, dry summer and settled autumn period with cool nights, ideal for flavour concentration.

Hand harvested 19th March.

Two cane, vertical shoot positioned Dijon clone 828 vines were meticulously managed with an emphasis on early season shoot thinning and leaf exposure to achieve clean, mature fruit with gentle acidity and ripe tannins. Yield 2kg/vine.

Fully destemmed into stainless steel open top fermenters. Seven days cold soak pre-ferment, inoculated with a total of 22 days skin contact to maximise colour and tannin extraction while maintaining fruit balance. Lightly pressed and transferred to French oak.

Aged 11 months in combination of new (10%) and seasoned French oak, while undergoing full malolactic fermentation.

Bottled March 2022; released September 2023.