Spy Valley
Envoy Johnson Pinot Noir 2017 750ml

Aroma

Red berries, plum with a typical liquorice and floral background.

Palate

Appearing soft and fruit focussed at first, this wine has a substantial fine grained tannin structure typical for this site. Layers of dark fruit sit behind the dominant red berry notes.

Cellaring 

The primary fruit characters should continue to unfold for several years. Following this the softening of tannin structure and increase in flavour complexity will take the wine to another stage over 5-10 years.

Winemaking

Handpicked in the cool of morning, the grapes naturally fermented and were hand plunged in open vats over several weeks. A portion of the bunches were left as whole bunches. After draining to barrels for 14 months, barrels were selected and blended for further ageing for several months before bottling.

Vintage

2017 proved to suit Pinot Noir very well. A pleasant summer led to a cooler period immediately before harvest – perfect for retaining acidity and flavour at the time of Pinot Noir final ripening.

Vineyard

Johnson Vineyard, Lower Waihopai Valley - alluvial stony silt loams, very well drained, and clay/loess over gravel.