Royal Block "Franz Ferdinand" Pinot Noir 2015

The first release from our 'Royal Series'

Deep in colour with intense berry aromatics and a hint of rose. Exceptional body with balanced acidity and silky tannins. Lively on the palate with rich plum, cherry and subtle spice notes.

• Reviews
• Vintage
• Winemaking
• Technical

• 95 points by Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com (Feb 2019)
  5 Stars by Michael Cooper MW (Jul 18)
  96 points by James Suckling
  95 points by Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
  96 points and ranked #15 of 74 by Bob Campbell
  94 points by Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
• A cooler than normal spring was replaced with a dry November and extremely warm December just in time to provide the perfect window for the critical flowering period. Dry warm conditions continued through into February reducing the soil moisture significantly however in late summer, we experienced above-average rainfall and a cold snap. After unexpected snowfalls in mid-April, harvesting was fast-tracked. Overall fruit quality was excellent with slightly lower acid and sugar levels than normal.
• Hand-picked on the 26th March. Cold soaked for 5 days before indigenous yeast fermentation kicked in. Gentle hand plunging throughout ferment, followed by post-fermentation maceration of 9 days to ensure optimum fruit and tannin balance. Total time on skin; 25 days. Drained directly into selected French oak barriques (100% two years old) where the wine aged for 15 months during which wild malolactic fermentation occurs. Bottled 24th June 2016, without fining and filtration. The winemaking was very much in keeping with the traditional practices of the Old World. Winemaker, Rudi Bauer, has combined these techniques, and his own personal understanding, to create this wine.
• pH: 3.65, TA: 5.4g/l, Alc: 14.0%, Clone: 115
  Bottling Date: 24th June 2016
  Ageing Potential: 7 – 10 years
  Limited Release: Only 780 bottles produced