Paddy Borthwick Pinot Gris 2021 (12 Bottles) Wairarapa, New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

Perfumed aromas of apricots, nectarines and green pears. A rich mid-palate displaying mild oak influence. The wine finishes dry and crisp with lingering hints of warming spice.

The growing season for the 2020 vintage saw little to no rainfall in November and December 2019. This produced slightly shorter canopy heights but provided ideal conditions for fruit set. The low rainfall continued for the remainder of the season into late March, leading to earlier flavour development in the grapes and no disease pressure. Grapes were picked between March 18th and April the 8th 2020. All fruit harvested was ripe, overall a quality vintage.

Pinot Gris is the new variety in the vineyard for Borthwick Estate, planted in the springs of 2006 and 2007, we chose some of the newest planting material in New Zealand and grafted on to a rootstock that makes the vine work hard to access nutrients and water. The struggle of the vines allows us to restrict the crop load to a minimum, practicing extensive shoot and fruit thinning to ensure the vine is balanced. Acidity is a key factor when choosing to harvest our Pinot Gris; picking decisions are made to ensure there is an acid structure to the wine.

The harvested fruit was processed quickly into tank to retain the vibrant aromas and fresh acidity. The juice is then split into two parcels, one of which is run into older French oak barrels, while the other remains in tank. The tank portion is fermented slow and cool to retain the varietal characters of Pinot Gris, while the barrel ferment is undertaken at warm temperatures to build palate weight. The wines are aged on yeast lees for nine months before blending, fining and filtration.