Pyramid Valley Snake's Tongue Pinot Noir 2022

2022 SNAKE'S TONGUE PINOT NOIR

Season summary
Warm spring conditions resulted in steady growth with flowering early- December. The new year brought both rain and snow leaving a dusting on the ranges, but thankfully warm, dry weather followed through to harvest resulting in perfectly ripe fruit. Veraison took place at the beginning of February and harvest commenced in April.

Tasting note
Bright ruby hue. Complex, alluring nose of dark fruits, cherries and cloves, invoking forest floor and wild thyme. A powerful wine with flavours of complex red fruits and game meats. The mouthfeel is plush and silky, while the structure unfolds into a juicy and evocative expression of this very special piece of land.

Viticulture
From the Snake’s Tongue parcel planted in 2007 at Manatu Estate in Lowburn, Central Otago. Abel clone meticulously farmed to the highest standard in its third year of organic conversion producing stellar fruit. Soils are predominantly loess over deep silts that have developed pedogenic lime deposits. Harvest date: 12 April 2022

Winemaking
33% whole bunch with the remainder gently de-stemmed to maintain a high percentage of whole berries. Fermented using wild yeasts in an open top concrete tulipe fermenter for 21 days. Aged in French barrels for 12 months, 30% new oak, then blended and aged for a further 6 months in oak prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Chemical Analysis
Alcohol: 13.5% pH: 3.82
TA: 4.6g/L SO2: 55ppm
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes
497 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles produced.