The inaugural release of this label is drawn from Wrekin Vineyard (65%) in the Brancott Valley, and Dog Point’s Settlement Vineyard in the Omaka Valley (35%). Mike Patterson loves the blend of these two contrasting sites. The Settlement is often Corofin’s first block to be harvested and contributes elegance and red-fruited suppleness. The Wrekin block, on the other hand, lends brooding savoury depth and palate weight: it’s a match made in Marlborough!
In ’21, the Settlement block was picked on the 2nd of March, while the Wrekin block followed just a day later. Regarding the winemaking, both batches were destemmed and fermented wild with gentle, once-daily pump-overs. The batches were then transferred to seasoned (two and three-year-old) barrels, where they remained for 13 months on lees. After blending, the wine was married in tank for five months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This screams succulence. It’s a bright, juicy and snappy Pinot with an alluring mix of red fruits, earth and spice swirling around a supple and generous texture, lip-smacking intensity and a very moreish finish. Delicious. It’s a challenge to stop drinking.