Owned by the Neylon family, Rapaura Springs has an astonishing track record of Trophies and top points for its wines. The family started their farming career with mussels and apples but found vines much more rewarding and since making this move haven’t looked back. Their goal is to enhance the environment around them through sustainable vineyard and winemaking practices that will leave a natural legacy for future generations. Rapaura Springs have a philosophy of minimum intervention, and all vineyards are carefully managed under strict Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand standards. They let Marlborough’s land, climate and water do the hard work, then handcraft superb wines at the state of the art winery, leaving the vineyards to tell their own story, with just a little nudge in the right direction from experienced viticulture and winemaking teams. The result is a selection of focused, terroir-driven Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs with outstanding varietal expression.
The South Brook vineyard is in the Fairhall Valley, within the Marlborough Southern Valleys. This hillside site has several microclimates, creating unique fruit characteristics, which combine for a complex and layered flavour profile. The clay soils in this vineyard are planted with traditional Dijon clones and produce Pinot Noir with intense dark cherry and berry characters.
Fruit was hand selected and clonally harvested in the cool of the morning and bought into the winery to be held overnight in the chiller. The following day the fruit was processed into small fermenters with the use of some whole bunch components to aid in complexity. Pressed and racked into a selection of New and older French oak barrels and aged for 10 months before blending. 100% French Barriques with 30% New Oak.
The 2019 Marlborough growing season had a slow start with below average temperatures and higher rainfall resulting in cooler ground temperatures. Extended hot and dry weather resulted in advanced ripening and an earlier than average start to harvest. The fruit for this wine was hand-selected in the cool of the morning, then taken straight to the winery. Our Pinot Noir was cold soaked for five days, prior to wild fermentation. Whole bunch components (10%) were included for additional complexity. After fermentation, the must was pressed and the wine aged for ten months in French Oak, with a total of 55% new oak (15% puncheon).
Dark cherry and cassis fruits combine with notes of chocolate and five spice. Fine tannins add a textural element to this wine, which is complemented by generous, ripe dark berry fruits.
Perfectly paired with a rare fillet steak or mushroom risotto.
Best served at 15-17°C
Awatere, Marlborough, New Zealand
100% Pinot Noir
Screwcap
13%
0.4g/l
6/l
Yes
No
