Main Divide TEHAU Selection Pinot Noir 2006

The Donaldson Family traces its Kiwi roots back about 1000 years. In keeping with this we have chosen to honour this special New Zealand wine with an ancestral name.

Only the best hand-harvested fruit from selected sites in the Waipara Valley were used. When we removed the bunch stems we endeavoured to retain as many whole berries as possible. These were then put into small vats and kept cool for several days before natural fermentation commenced by the action of the grapes' own yeasts. During fermentation the floating cap of grape skins was gently submerged manually twice daily in order to keep it moist and healthy. After the fermentation had died down there was an extended period during which the wine was carefully evaluated daily, particularly for texture and mouth-feel. At the point this was judged to be optimum, the wine was gently separated from the grape remnants or marc, being 3-4 weeks after harvest. It was then put into the barriques of French artisan coopers. These were left undisturbed in our cellars until secondary or “malo-lactic” fermentation occurred spontaneously in the summer after harvest, by the action of the wines' indigenous organisms. After 18 months of barrel aging we blended the wine according to taste, using only the barrels we felt best typified the region and vineyard sites.

The bouquet and flavour present an array of ripe red berry fruits, such as raspberries and boysenberries, supported by hints of black cherry. It has a distinct savoury element with impressions of black olives, roasted game and grilled mushrooms and bacon. In the palate it is vibrant, muscular and lithe with a spine of firm, ripe tannins to keep it focussed. There is a spicy hint of dark chocolate in the finish, which lingers on the palate after swallowing.

While ready to drink on release, with careful cellaring this wine should develop an array of other fascinating nuances over the next few years.

Wine is a natural health food