2006 Kim Crawford SP Central Otago Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes:
Intense ruby red in appearance, with rich aromas of dark fruits accented with touches of spice and toasty oak. The smokey oak flavor and silky tannins lead to a soft and persistent finish.

Vineyard Notes:
Rise-and-Shine Creek is the home of gold mining in Bendigo, Central Otago. These grapes are from the Clearvue Vineyard on the northern end of the Bendigo Loop road in the cool climate region of the acclaimed Central Otago. The vines were intensely managed to achieve beautiful balance for this vineyards first cropping season. A very early harvest period allowed individual clones to be picked for optimum flavor and maturity over a three week window. Five clones were selected for this blend: B777 and UCD5, supported by B667, Able and B115.

Production Notes:
The wine went through 100 percent malolactic fermentation and was stored in a mixture of new and aged French oak barrels for six months. The result is a lush Pinot Noir full of dark fruit, toasty oak and soft tannins on the lingering finish.