It is now well established that Central Otago is producing outstanding pinot noirs, with Quartz Reef being no exception. Still, there is no doubt in Rudi's mind that to produce great pinot noir will take time. We are looking forward to the exciting journey to learn more about pinot noir, the expression of the vines and the development in the bottle.

The fruit was hand-picked in ideal condition on the 14th and 15th April from the close-planted, steep slope of our Bendigo Estate vineyard. The winemaking was very much in keeping with the traditional practices of the Old World.

The winemaker Rudi Bauer has combined these techniques, and his own personal understanding, to create this wine. Each small batch of fruit was vinified separately according to clone (10/5, 5, 115, 667, 777 & Abel). A small percentage of whole bunches was retained, with the rest being carefully de-stemmed.

Each tank was then left for 5-7 days of pre-fermentation cold soak before indigenous yeast fermentation was allowed to begin naturally, peaking at 33 Celcius.

Gentle plunging throughout, combined with post-fermentation maceration of up to 12 days, ensured optimum tannin extraction. Pressing was determined by taste, with the wine going directly into selected French oak barrels, of which 30 per cent were new. The wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation in Spring and received an egg white fining to aid settling before bottling in June 2011.

The Pinot Noir 2010 is intense and typical of our Bendigo Estate Vineyard – Concentrated with sweet red and black berry fruits, spice of silky texture and fine grained tannins

Technical Data pH: 3.67 TA: 5.1g/l Alcohol: 14.0%

Colour: Deep bright red Bouquet: Thyme, spiced wild berries Palate: Vibrant, ripe dark berry fruits, chocolate with sweet, velvet yet firm tannins. Aging Potential: 6 to 9 years

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