2018 Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé, Yealands

Food Matching: Try with salmon and other fresh seafood or as an aperitif with canapes.

Vineyard: Seaview Vineyard in the Awatere Valley is exposed to some of the toughest growing conditions in Marlborough; high sunshine and wind, cool nights and low rainfall which produces a smaller, thicker skinned berry with intense fruit flavours. To make this Pinot Noir Rosé a small block of young vine Pinot Noir was harvested around seven days earlier than harvest commenced for the mature Pinot Noir vines.

Vinification: The Pinot Noir parcel was harvested, chilled, crushed and de-stemmed directly to the press where it soaked on skins for 12 hours in a closed inert environment. The juice was then pressed off gently and cold settled for 72 hours. The clear juice was racked and inoculated with a selected yeast to enhance the varietal Pinot Noir characters of red fruit. A portion (10%) was dropped into older French barriques for fermentation with the majority being fermented in a stainless steel tank. Post fermentation, the wine in barrel was stirred twice weekly to build texture and weight. The bright, fruit forward wine fermented in tank was blended with the rich textural wine from oak to create and elegant and well-structured Rosé. The wine was stabilised and gently filtered prior to bottling.

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