Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir 2021 (6 Bottles) Marlborough, New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

The 2021 vintage certainly had its nuances compared to vintages over the last decade. Early spring frosts, combined with cool wet weather during flowering had a significant impact across Marlborough, resulting in yields being lower than average across the region. Summer was beautifully dry and warm, and with low-yields an early harvest was upon us; starting 10 days earlier than 2020. A stunning year for Pinot Noir with small bunches and berries, packed with flavour and structure. A bit brooding at first, this takes a minute to open up. Baking spices, blueberry and cassis, reveal lifted red fruits and cinnamon, wrapped up in toasty oak. The palate is medium bodied with juicy red cherries, soft acid and fine chalky tannins.

Pinot Noir was harvested over 10 days, picking blocks at optimum ripeness. All fruit is handled gently in the winery, where blocks and sub-blocks are kept separate all the way to blending. The fruit for Catalina Sounds is mostly destemmed and left at ambient temperature on skins for several days prior to fermentation. Ferments are allowed to reach max. 32 degrees with gentle handling each day and then left on their skins for about 7 days before draining and pressing to French oak, about 15-20% new. The wine was blended in February and bottled in March prior to vintage the following year.