Rose 2024

The 2024 vintage in Marlborough started out with mixed weather conditions and a resulting poor flowering, leading to low yields. The summer then had mostly perfect weather which allowed the reduced crop of grapes to ripen perfectly. Approaching harvest, the hot days and cool nights were ideal to concentrate the grapes flavours. The weather prior to harvest and the low yields meant we had our earliest harvest ever. The grapes for this wine were picked on 12 March 2024

This Rose is predominantly estate grown Pinot Noir, which was designated specifically for this wine. The remainder of the blend is a small portion of Gruner Veltliner and Pinot Gris. The grapes were all picked together in the cool of the evening, maintaining freshness and resulting in exceptional quality. They were given a brief cold soak maceration to extract colour from the skins and then co-fermented to give us this elegant, well integrated wine. The inclusion of the two aromatic white grapes co-fermented with the Pinot Noir lifts the wine, giving a unique vibrancy and spicyness. It was bottled on 8 October 2024.

It is a warm salmon pink in colour with a classical strawberries and cream nose, delicate red rose florals, cherries, finger lime, pink grapefruit and a subtle spicy hint. On the palate it is clean, crisp and refreshing with traces of cherries, strawberries, grapefruit, white nectarine, pomegranite, water-melon and spices. It is medium bodied, elegant and refined, with crisp acidity, great balance and soft tannins. The long, lingering, spicy finish is particularly appealing. Because it is predominantly Pinot Noir, it should age gracefully for several years.

Technical notes

Alcohol 13.03%; Acidity 6.1 g/l; PH 3.44; Residual Sugar 4.7 g/l

Reviews  

Pristine and elegantly fragrant, showing ripe strawberry, cranberry, rockmelon, and crunchy apple notes, leading to a lively palate that's juicy and finely flowing. Splendidly structured by bright acidity, offering fabulous drinking. At its best: now to 2026. 93/100 *****

                                                                                                               Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, November 2025    

This is pretty much dry with just 4g/l of residual sugar, a blend of 65% Pinot Noir with the balance made up of Pinot Gris and Grüner Veltliner, all picked at the same time and co-fermented. It is a little deeper in colour than many without being dark, and it has an attractive nose that marries vinous red berries with a touch of leafiness and hint of lime. In the mouth I really like the velvety density of the mid-palate fruit: not heavy, but supple and succulent, the hint of sweetness playing against good acidty and a tiny nip of tannin to give it a bit of extra mouthfeel. 89/100

Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com May 2025