Tasting Note

Region: Central Otago

Sub Region: Bannockburn

VINEYARDS

Cairnmuir Vineyard 100%

Lakeview, Cairnmuir Rise

Clones: 777, 6; varying rootstocks

Aspect: north/north west sloping elevated glacial terrace

Row orientation: east/west

Soil: weakly structured light alluvial soils overlaying schist rock

Elevation: 270m

Vine age:  21 years

Trellis system & pruning: VSP, spur

 

VINTAGE

Growing conditions: An exceptionally warm, dry spring and early summer gave us unusually high early season growth. The extraordinary summer heat brought the whole growing season forward culminating in our earliest harvest ever. Late summer brought us record high rainfall with cool daytime temperatures. These cooler temperatures kept disease pressure in check and the fruit delivered to the winery by the vineyard crew was in excellent condition.

 

Grower Degree Days:  1,283 GDD

Rainfall: 426 ml Oct-April

Cropping: Average 6.5 T/HA

VINIFICATION

Whole bunch fermentation: 0%

Fermentation vessel: stainless steel

Pre-ferment maceration: 5 days

Yeast: wild

Fermentation heat: Peaked at 31°C

Punch-downs: Twice daily

Post-ferment maceration: 5 days

Oak treatment: None

Unfined, vegan

 

Tasting note

Heady perfume of wild raspberries, crunchy red cherries, crushed rose petals and fresh spices. The palate is densely juicy and framed with gentle grape skin tannins. Bright, easy and flowing and utterly moreish.

 

Winemaker’s Notes:

“This is a brand new style for Akarua, created to mark a vintage of extremes – heat, cold and rain. We bottled early to capture the essence of our home block vineyard without the weighty palate structure that extended ageing in oak brings. The incredible nose comes from a high proportion of whole berry/carbonic ferment. I am pleased to see spice and fruit notes which are so classic for our Cairnmuir Rd vineyard, together with a new, lighter palate structure. It is a wine deliberately made to drink young and fresh. We like to serve it at cellar temp – about 12C shows off the juiciness of this wine perfectly.”

 

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

Vineyard Mgr: Mark Naismith

Winemaker: Andrew Keenleyside

Bottled: 19th June 2018

Brix at Harvest: 22-24

Date of Harvest: 15th - 28th March

Alcohol: 14%

PH: 3.71

Titratable Acidity: 5.7