The fruit is selected from the Delta vineyard, located on the south side of Marlborough's Wairau Valley. The vineyard comprises 27 hectares of Pinot Noir from selected Dijon clones planted in 2002. The rich clay soil and elevation, combined with Marlborough's warm days and cool nights, make this site ideal for producing top-quality Pinot Noir.
During a cool evening, selected Pinot Noir clones were harvested from the vineyard and transported to the winery where they were kept in a cold soak for four days to extract maximum colour, flavour and tannin form the grapes.
Fermented with a carefully selected yeast strain, the grapes were hand-plunged up to eight times daily during the height of fermentation. The wine was then pressed equally into tank and seasoned French oak barriques and left to mature for nine months. Winemaker Heather Stewart then selected her preferred barrels for the final blend of the Delta Pinot Noir 2019.
With fresh and vibrant red berry notes on release, the flavours will evolve and ripen over time. The complex oak influence creates a long and toasty finish.
The wine shows aromas of fresh red berries, dried thyme and black olive. The palate is rich, fruity and relatively full bodied with raspberries, black plum and integrated notes of coffee bean. It has a fine tannin structure and a long, toasty finish.