Tasting Notes
Our 2011 Clutha Pinot Noir is a vibrant ruby red with purple hues of great depth. Ripe red fruit aromas waft from the glass, with subtle oak and earthy notes.
Ripe and firm tannins support the excellent cherry based flavours that last well into a soft and savoury finish. The plate is both full and elegant with excellent length and balance.
Food Matching
Enjoy a glass of Pinot Noir with a succulent lamb rack. Serve the lamb on the pink side with a dollop of salsa verde, oven roasted potatoes with rosemary, sweet corn cobs and a leafy green salad. This super wine can also be enjoyed with some aged gouda and walnut wafers.
Viticulture and Winemaking
A warm start in Central Otago saw the 2011 vintage bud burst at around the same time as 2010. Fruit set was slightly above average, leading to somewhat higher than normal crop levels. Some careful fruit thinning throughout the season brought the vines into perfect balance. Rain was experienced leading into March, but the grapes remained in good condition. The moderately cropped vines reached full ripeness and were harvested on schedule in mid-April.
The fruit for our Toi Toi Clutha Pinot Noir comes from the Mitre Rocks vineyard near Cromwell. Cropped at modest levels, careful shoot positioning ensures the fruit is well exposed to take advantage of the cool growing conditions from this renowned grape growing area.
Machine harvested in the cool of the morning, the grapes were destemmed, lightly crushed and fermented on skins in stainless steel open-topped fermentors. A warm fermentation with regular hand plunging of the cap ensured great colour and extract. After pressing off skins, the wine was oak aged for 6 months to add complexity and palate weight. It was prepared for bottling in late November.