Akarua Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020

Akarua Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020French oak Black Doris plum Toasted clove Succulent finish "Restrained voluptuousness with Black Doris plum, cassis, floral, violet and spice, thyme and anise flavours. Rich, smooth textured wine that is a pleasure to taste. Gobs of fruit supported by enough acid and tannins to prevent any sense of cloying. A well made wine that measures up to its predecessors" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Oct 2021 "A pretty nose of cherries and

• French oak
• Black Doris plum
• Toasted clove
• Succulent finish

"Restrained voluptuousness with Black Doris plum, cassis, floral, violet and spice, thyme and anise flavours. Rich, smooth-textured wine that is a pleasure to taste. Gobs of fruit supported by enough acid and tannins to prevent any sense of cloying. A well-made wine that measures up to its predecessors" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Oct 2021

"A pretty nose of cherries and cranberries with undertones of sweet spices and violets. It’s medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Silky texture with juicy and crunchy character. Pure and fresh with a succulent finish. Drink now or hold" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Oct 2021

"The 2020 vintage of Akarua Pinot Noir is showing the savoury concentration of a low yielding season. It is a vintage expressing dominant notes of earth and spice rather than the concentrated fruit character we have seen in other seasons. It is a dark and broody, cellar-worthy expression of our Akarua Pinot Noir, certainly reminiscent of the 2017" Winemaker

Deep and bright ruby. Complex nose of black cherries and raspberries, with toasted clove, cinnamon, five spice and fennel. The palate structure is silky and savoury with gastronomic notes of roasted mushroom with wild thyme. Lively acidity with refreshing minerality and the fine tannins lengthen the leather and earthy characters on the finish.

Higher winds and cooler temperatures through Oct to early January affected flowering and fruit set, leading to variation in ripening across the estate and lower natural yields. Summer arrived briefly in February and helped lift the seasons growing degree days (GDD) and earlier disease concerns were alleviated by the third driest March seen since 1985 (only 6mm fell). Our fruit arrived to the winery from March the 12th until April the 28th in excellent condition. Some similarities to the growing season of 2017 have been noted, spurring discussion amongst the team of another year of exceptional, award-winning wines!