Mt. Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2021

The Mt Difficulty winery was started in 1998 with a very small production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, these are now some of the oldest vineyards in Bannockburn. This vine age gives the wines, particularly the Pinot Noirs, extra complexity and concentration. The Bannockburn area is internationally recognised as one of the few places in the world outside Burgundy where the pernickety Pinot Noir variety has found a home. Parts of New Zealand and cooler areas on the western seaboard of the United States are the only other regions where Pinot Noir seems to truly flourish. The unique microclimate of the Bannockburn area is partially created by the presence of Mount Difficulty which overlooks the southern Cromwell basin. Mount Difficulty is integral in providing low rainfall and humidity for the region.

W.G. Rees, one of the original settlers in the Wakitipu Basin, employed a party of six men as drovers to bring a flock of 3000 sheep from Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island. This was an arduous undertaking with many rivers and a number of mountain passes to traverse. Crossing the Cairnmuir Range to avoid the Cromwell Gorge, they reached the Kawarau river, but found it impossible to get the sheep up the Kawarau Gorge – the gap between the bluff and the river was too narrow. The mountain above this bluff they called Mt Difficulty.

Grapes for Bannockburn Pinot Noir come exclusively from estate and winery managed vineyards situated on the south side of the Kawarau River. While subject to the seasonal and diurnal temperature extremes of Central Otago, each vineyard has a specific terroir and a variety of low fertility soil types: light sands, clays, loams and gravels. The majority of grapes come from earlier plantings which are predominantly clones 5, 6 and 10/5, while more recent plantings are a mix of Dijon clones 113, 115, 667 and 777.

A lovely, bold expression of Bannockburn pinot that opens with dark cherries and warm spice. distinct notes of dried herb and cedar lead to dark cherry and bramble berry fruit. blackberry, plum and raspberry flood the palate with a fine web of tannin, that supports the concentrated fruit core of the wine. a long, structural finish with spice notes. - Matt Dicey, Winemaker

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - New Zealand
Region - Central Otago
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%