Cloudy Bay Te Wahi Pinot Noir 2019

• Producer: Cloudy Bay
• Varietal: Pinot Noir
• Region: New Zealand
• Alcohol: 14.0%
• Net volume: 750ml
• Vintage: 2019

Te Wahi means ?the Place? in Maori. This wine arose when Cloudy Bay was looking to more fully express the potential of the Pinot Noir varietal, as it had with Sauvignon Blanc in Te Koko, and sought to make a darker more brooding style from a region complementary to Marlborough, with a very different terroir expression. Cloudy Bay chose Central Otago, the small but highly regarded region at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand which it scoured for great sites and spent years refining its signature style. 100% Pinot Noir from Cloudy Bay?s Northburn and Calvert vineyards. Vine age: 10 to 20 years. Te Wahi is a powerful wine, with an opulent core of dark berry fruit and structural tannins. Over time, it gains complexity with notes of warm spices and forest floor. When young, and the Estate recommends opening the bottle in advance and, ideally, decanting it. This wine will mature with grace for at least 30 years. On the nose, you?ll find dusky brambles, wild strawberries and hints of violet. The palate is elegant and abounds with damson and hedgerow fruit. Dense tannins and vibrant freshness bring tension, balance and clarity, drawing to a long and focused finish.

This vintage is exceptionally well-balanced ? a true reflection of a balanced year in the vineyards. The 2019 growing season in New Zealand began with a series of frosts and a cool spring that slightly hindered flowering. January and March were hot, with a brief reprieve in February that prevented maturation from racing away ? the resulting harvest was well balanced and in excellent condition. After 12 months of ageing in French oak barrels (of which 30% were new), the wine was bottled in July 2020.

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