Wine Enthusiast 94 EDITORS CHOICE
This quality-focused biodynamic producer's Petit Clos range is always great value. This vintage, an excellent one in Marlborough, gives particular bang for buck. The wine is the color of freshly squeezed cherry juice, and the vibrant nose offers oodles of plump summer berries just off the bush, along with stalky, floral undertones. The palate is equally exuberant, the juicy fruit wound by firm, textural tannins. A charmer of a wine for knocking back at a barbecue. -CHRISTINA PICKARD

Tasting notes
The nose reveals aromas of red berries, mainly dominated by cherry and plum notes. There is a juicy red berries mouthfeel on the palate supported by very fine and supple tannins while retaining freshness all the way to the long finish.

Background
Petit Clos, translated from French to mean 'small enclosed vineyard', captures the vibrancy of our estate. Petit Clos wines come from our younger vines, from a mixture of soil types.

Technical data
Climate: Dry maritime with warm sunny days and cool nights
Annual sunshine: 2443 hours
Average annual rainfall: 647 mm
Latitude: 41.3 degrees south
Altitude: 85150 metres above sea level
Soil: Broadbridge & Wither clays, Greywacke river stone
Planting density: High at 5050 vines/ha
Yield: 5 to 8t/ha
Clones: 114, 115, 5, 10/5, Abel
Rootstock: 3309, Paulsen & Schwarzmann, 101-14
Vine age: 37 year old vines
Alcohol: 13.5
Residual sugar: 1g/l
Total acidity: 4.8g/l
pH: 3.65

Ageing potential: 3-4 years from vintage Wine match: Stuffed pork fillet with tapenade or perfect with barbecue meats.

Vinification
This wine was fermented in stainless steel open tops and then aged in large (7,500 l) French oak vats for 11 months. Ageing in large oak vats, instead of smaller barrels, gives the wine great balance with subtle oak which enriches structure while retaining aromatic intensity.

Viticulture
In the French tradition, our entire vineyard is high densely planted - this forces the vines to compete with one another, resulting in highly concentrated grapes. The younger Pinot vines on our estate are situated on 3 different soil types. All our Pinot Noir is hand-picked in the cool, early mornings to retain fruit integrity.