Nanny Goat Pinot Noir 2022

Product Information:

This Pinot Noir is a regional blend of fruit grown at their Queensberry vineyard alongside fruit produced by their growers throughout the Queensberry, Bendigo, Pisa, Bannockburn and Gibbston sub regions of Central Otago.

An intense and lively number. Dark berry fruits and red fleshed plums abound on the nose, marrying well with rose petal, savoury spices and torn sage leaves. The palate has fresh juicy plum and cherry, gradually building to a plush core of dark berry fruits wrapped in a veil of fine velvety tannins. A vibrant burst of acidity provides freshness, while teasing the palate out to a lingering finish.

Fruit was hand-picked and predominantly destemmed into small 4.2T open top fermenters for a brief pre-fermentation maceration before ferment with wild yeast. A small number of ferments contained up to 40% whole bunches where stem ripeness allowed. Ferments were managed judiciously, with a maximum of two light plunges daily at the peak of fermentation to avoid over extraction of tannin. Wines spent between 24 and 32 days on skins prior to pressing to 225L oak barrels for maturation.

Maker:

In late 2004, owner John Valmorbida, went on a spontaneous trek up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown. In awe of the wild goats that traverse Central Otago's rugged mountains, John named the vineyard Nanny Goat. This name embodies Nanny Goat's connection to the land and the spirit of exploration that drives our winemaking journey. ‘Nanny Goat Vineyard’ perfectly encapsulates their determination to succeed, adapt and thrive in the rugged and often extreme climates of Central Otago; much like the nimble and sure-footed wild goats of the region have done long before their arrival.

From their inaugural release of Pinot Noir in 2005, Nanny Goat Vineyard has strived to produce wines with elegance, concentration and balance whilst allowing each individual parcel of fruit to tell its unique story.

Nanny Goat Estate Vineyard sits between 270m and 290m above sea level spread across two ancient, North East facing terraces. This region experiences climatic extremes with scorching hot summers, fleeting autumns, and brutally cold winters. Indeed, these are challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Successive periods of glaciation and recession, followed by erosion by Mata Au / Clutha River have shaped the Nanny Goat Estate landscape by creating distinct terraces of alluvial soils that are a mosaic of loess, gravel, schist and mineral quartz. Generations of farming and the associated cultivation of lucerne (pasture legume) and other feed crops have added organic matter to the wind blown loess topsoil providing us with a nice balance between vine vigour and free draining attributes. 

Central Otago unique terroir produces wines of extraordinary intensity and distinction that show varietal and regional definition. The soils are free draining, with poor natural fertility. These challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate wines are integral in our pursuit of magic.

Philosophy:

Positioned in Central Otago at a latitude of 45° South, this is the most southerly wine region in the world. Vineyards are planted between 200m and 400m above sea level. Each vintage, the Nanny Goat team work with grower partners at Vela Vineyard, Legend Terrace Vineyard & Tankersley Vineyard to source Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Pisa, Gibbston, Bannockburn & Queensberry. Central Otago is the only area in New Zealand that has a semi-continental climate and experiences greater diurnal shifts in temperature and more seasonal extremes than any other wine-growing region in New Zealand. The diurnal shift in temperature can involve daytime temperatures in excess of 30° and nights with temperatures dropping as low as 0°. This wide swing in temperature aids the development of flavour complexity in the fruit while retaining natural acidity. Central Otago produces wines of extraordinary intensity and distinction that show varietal and regional definition. The soils are free draining, with poor natural fertility. These are the challenging conditions required to producing world-class cool climate wines in Nanny Goat's pursuit of magic.

Winemaker Alan Peters-Oswald, grew up in the small town of Roxburgh, not far from Central Otago's winegrowing sub-regions. This proximity instilled in Alan a love of the rugged beauty and boldly contrasting extremes of this unique terroir. Each vintage, Alan and the team work closely to produce wines that are expressive not only of Central Otago but also of vintage conditions. Handpicked and hand sorted, the utmost care is given to all fruit before spending time in open top stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Alan seeks to retain as many whole berries as possible and whole bunch components are crucial to creating detailed and textured wines. Nanny Goat's Pinot Noirs see between 11-13 months in 225 litre French oak barriques - between 35-40% new oak each year. Nanny Goat Chardonnay also spends 9 months in barrel; 500 litre French oak puncheons.

Nose - Red Fleshed Plums, Torn Sage, Cacao Powder
Red fleshed plums abound on the nose, marrying well with rose petal, savoury spices and torn sage leaves. 

Palate - Juicy Plum & Cherry, Red Liquorice, Spicy Oak
Silken-textured wine with layers of flavours suggesting dark cherry, plum, cacao powder, red liquorice and spicy oak flavours. 

Finish - Dark Berry Fruits, Vibrant Acidity, Lingering Spice
A vibrant burst of acidity provides freshness, while teasing the palate out to a lingering finish.

Silken-textured wine with layers of flavours suggesting dark cherry, plum, cacao powder, red liquorice and spicy oak flavours. Elegant and surprisingly accessible wine with good cellaring potential. - Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, 92 Points.

The density of fruit and chewy tannins impresses. It’s rather muscular and cool in structure, with a steely stone character. Some flint, too. Medium-bodied. Chewy at the end. Give this two or three years to soften, but it’s excellent for the vintage. Screw cap. - James Suckling, 92 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal -  Pinot Noir
Country - New Zealand
Region - Central Otago 
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14%