Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir 2010

A warm, low-yielding vintage has produced a Pinot Noir displaying ripeness concentration and balance; dark fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by lifted florals and black cherry, balanced with sweet aromatic spice notes. The wine has a ripe concentrated front palate, which displays these same characters in abundance. The mid palate is fleshy and well textured, and the wine finishes with a combination of ripe, fine-grained tannin, fruit and acidity.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Estate Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2010:

Excellent concentration, with the hallmarks of a warmer season – concentrated ripe dark fruit mingled with a touch of red fruit and a splash of savoury spice!

A nicely odd-ball vintage with warm conditions being over-ruled by ongoing winds and rapidly changing weather systems. Low initial bunch numbers coupled with the climatic variability led to yields being down by about 20% on average. A fantastic autumn helped bring the grapes through their last phase of ripening beautifully. Harvest was the latest we have ever experienced with first fruit not being picked till the 8th April. The blocks which are typically early were late, whilst our later blocks were harvested about their normal timeframe, leading to a very compacted busy vintage.

Vineyards:

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Magnum - Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir 2009 1500ml

This wine reflects the nature of a cooler vintage displaying great concentration and balance; red fruits of the forest dominate the aroma and these are underpinned by black cherry, Christmas cake spice and savoury herb. The wine has a dark concentrated front palate, which displays these same characters in abundance. The mid palate is fleshy and well textured, and the wine finishes with a combination of sinewy tannin, fruit and acidity.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Estate Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal characteristics with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

A cooler vintage; the volume of the 2009 harvest was down 15% on average. Climatically there was a good start to the season, but December was slightly wetter than usual which impacted negatively on bunch numbers. A typically turbulent January was followed by a cooler and wet February which slowed down vine growth. Good canopy management was essential, with canopies left as open as possible to minimise the detrimental effects of the weather. Central Otago provided its usual long, fine, warm autumn but a week into vintage a very cold spell brought on a cold response in our vines. This hurried the ripening process considerably, shortening and intensifying the season.

Vineyards:

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Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir 2009 - Half Bottle

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Estate Pinot Noir will improve for 7-10 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal characteristics with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

Vineyards:

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Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir 2009

This is the fourth Long Gully Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. Long Gully has always displayed classic red to black forest berry characters and for this cooler vintage blackcurrent and boysenberry really shine through. These same berries dominate the entry onto the palate, and flow in a rich and sensuous vein of fruit through the mid-palate. The wine finishes strongly with masculine fine grained tannin flowing into red berry fruit.

CELLARING POTENTIAL:

Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir will improve for 10 -15 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal flavours with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

A cooler vintage; the volume of the harvest was down 15% on average. Climatically there was a good start to the season, but December was slightly wetter than usual which reduced bunch numbers. A typically turbulent January was followed by a cooler, wet February which slowed down vine growth. Good canopy management was essential, with canopies left as open as possible to minimise the effects of the weather. Central Otago provided its usual long, fine, warm autumn but a week into vintage a cold spell brought on a cold response in the vines. This hurried the ripening process considerably; shortening and intensifying the season.

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come, and thus Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir is the essence of the vineyard itself. Long Gully has Lochar soils with thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. These are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. They generally have a 30 cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Long Gully has five different clones of Pinot Noir planted - 5, 6, 10/5, 113 and 115.

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Mt Difficulty Pipeclay Terrace Pinot Noir 2009

Our Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs are made in limited quantities and are not produced every year. This vintage was distinctive showing classic Pipeclay Stella cherry and blackberry with a slight spice kick and lovely light violet florals. The wine displays a strong dark berry entry, which moves into a rich and sensuous mid-palate. The wine finishes strongly with a combination of fruit and finely grained structural tannin.2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal flavours with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

CELLARING POTENTIAL:

Mt Difficulty Pipeclay Terrace Pinot Noir will improve for 10 -15 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come, and thus Mt Difficulty Pipeclay Terrace Pinot Noir is the essence of the vineyard itself. Pipeclay Terrace is made up of coarse, drought-prone Bannockburn soils and Scotland Point soils (impervious heavy clay). Bannockburn soils have a very low water holding capacity while the opposite is true of the Scotland Point soils, so irrigation systems have been designed to handle the very different requirements of each soil type. This vineyard is planted exclusively in Pinot Noir, with a wide variety of clones - 5, 6, 13, 113, 115, 667 and 777.

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Mt Difficulty Target Gully Pinot Noir 2009

This vintage shows concentrated red cherry and blueberry fruits alongside a distinctive liquorice / anise spice character. The wine displays a strong red fruit of the forest entry, which moves into a rich and sensuous mid-palate then finishes strongly with a combination of fruit and finely grained tannin.

CELLARING POTENTIAL:

Mt Difficulty Target Gully Pinot Noir will improve for 10-15 years given optimal cellaring conditions. 2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal flavours with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

Vintage:

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come, and thus Mt Difficulty Target Gully Pinot Noir is the essence of the vineyard itself. Target Gully is comprised of Lochar soils and man-made Bannockburn soils. Lochar soils are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture with about 30cm of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Bannockburn soils were formed from sluicing operations during early gold mining activities and are drought-prone due to the coarseness of the base material. Target Gully has a variety of Pinot Noir clones – 5, 6, 10/5 and 777.

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Magnum - Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir 2008 1500ml

This is the third Long Gully Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. Long Gully has always displayed classic red to black forest berry characters and for this vintage warmer blackcurrent and boysenberry really shine through. These same berries dominate the entry onto the palate, and flow in a rich and sensuous vein of fruit through the mid-palate. The wine finishes strongly with lovely fine grained tannin integrating seamlessly.

Cellaring potential:

Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir will improve for 10 -15 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

2008 was a ripe vintage - the concentration of flavours and varietal definition in all the wines is excellent, with fairly typical acid levels.

The 2008 growing season was close to ideal - poor weather during the previous December led to low bunch numbers, then a warm spring with less wind than usual created fantastic flowering conditions. The Grapevision vineyard management team worked hard to manage bunch yields, resulting in a crop level only 10% over our target. A hot and dry summer and autumn lifted the ripeness level of the wines onto the next plane. The condition of the grapes at harvest was great; with very little variability or shrivel. As is often the case given the dry conditions in Central Otago, we had no botrytis at all.

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and are sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come. Thus Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir is the essence of the vineyard itself. Long Gully consists of Lochar soils which are formed in older fans, with thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. They are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture, with generally 30cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Long Gully has 5 different clones of Pinot Noir planted - 5, 6, 10/5, 113 and 115.

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Mt Difficulty Chardonnay 2009

This Chardonnay pays homage to a lovely balanced season, with focussed citrus aromas backed by a toasty minerality. The palate starts with a clean citrus focus, moving into an elegant mid-palate with lovely flow and precision. The wine finishes with a flourish of minerality and a lovely citrus based tang.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Estate Chardonnay will improve for 5-7 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

2009 was a vintage with excellent flavour definition – intense cool varietal flavours were evident in all the wines, with excellent concentration and typically high acidity providing lovely focus on the finish.

Vineyards:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Estate label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards in Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Estate Chardonnay is blended from three Bannockburn vineyards – Mansons Farm, Long Gully and Templars Hill. Mansons Farm is made up of fine Bannockburn soil and Molyneux gravels. They are drought-prone, but are suitable to deep-rooted crops. Long Gully consists of Lochar soils which have very weakly developed, thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. These are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. They generally have a 30 cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Templars Hill consists of a mixture across the vineyard of heavy Scotland Point clay soils alternating with the drought-prone coarse gravel Bannockburn soils. This vineyard is by far the most difficult to manage from an irrigation perspective of all the Mt Difficulty vineyards.

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Mt Difficulty Pinot Gris 2011

The warm vintage of 2011 has resulted in aromas of white peach and peach blossom mingled with nectarine. The palate displays luscious stone fruit, while the mid palate is full, creamy and well textured. The wine has a rich, mineral driven finish.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Estate Pinot Gris will improve for 4-8 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2011:

Proper care at all times in the vineyard and winery was the making of vintage 2011. Conditions were difficult but the quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made. Spring was fantastically settled, which led to excellent flowering and fruit set.

Usual spring conditions actually arrived late, and unsettled weather was the norm right through January and February! Despite this, it was also pretty warm; it was almost too perfect for canopy and bunch development leading to bigger than normal berries, and higher bunch weights as a result. Finally some semblance of normality arrived in March with conditions settling. These conditions continued through autumn, other than one wet spell which highlighted how tender and thin-skinned the berries were this season. In the winery it was a season where the fruit needed empathy, and the direction of the wine was dictated by the fruit.

Vineyards:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Estate label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Each has a specific terroir, largely influenced by climate, and offers a variety of soil types from open gravels to heavier clays. Mt Difficulty Estate Pinot Gris is blended from five of our Bannockburn vineyards: Templars Hill, Long Gully, Bannockburn Bay, Ferris and Lytefoot. Templars Hill and Lytefoot have a combination of heavy Scotland Point clay soils alternating with the drought prone coarse gravel Bannockburn soils. Long Gully consists of Lochar soils, which are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. Ferris and Bannockburn Bay are the result of dune formation from parent material blown across the river from the Cromwell flats. They are very low in both fertility and water holding capacity.

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Mt Difficulty Mansons Farm Pinot Gris 2011

Made in a late harvest style with residual sugar of 90gL-1, this rich & unctuous wine displays bold citrus and stone fruit aromas. These same fruits exlpode on the palate with unrestrained enthusiasm, continuing right through the palate. The residual sugar helps to bring richness and balance to the wine without being cloying. This wine will age well, developing some delicious oiliness over time, and is well suited to most food types.

Cellaring Potential:

Mansons Farm Pinot Gris will improve for 5-8 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

Proper care at all times in the vineyard and winery was the making of vintage 2011. Conditions were difficult but the quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made.

Spring was fantastically settled, which led to excellent flowering and fruit set. Usual spring conditions actually arrived late, and unsettled weather was the norm right through January and February! Despite this, it was also pretty warm; it was almost too perfect for canopy and bunch development leading to bigger than normal berries, and higher bunch weights as a result. Finally some semblance of normality arrived in March with conditions settling. These conditions continued through autumn, other than one wet spell which highlighted how tender and thin-skinned the berries were this season. In the winery it was a season where the fruit needed empathy, and the direction of the wine was dictated by the fruit.

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come, and thus Mt Difficulty Mansons Farm Pinot Gris is the essence of the vineyard itself. Mansons Farm is made up of two soil types: fine Bannockburn soil and Molyneux soils. Bannockburn soil is classified as man-made having come about as a result of hydraulic mining and sluicing in the higher ground on the south side of Felton Road. Molyneux soils are gravels formed from schist and greywacke with a thin cover of silt or sand. They are drought-prone and not fertile, but are suitable to deep-rooted crops when managed carefully.

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Mt Difficulty Target Riesling 2011

Floral and ripe citrus notes compete in the aroma of this Riesling. Citrus characters introduce this wine to the palate and are then joined by ripe tropical melon and a hint of stonefruit. A moderate amount of residual sugar (39gL^-1) has been retained to balance the slightly lower acidity from a warmer season. This residual sugar has also fleshed out the mid palate of the wine. This wine will richly reward those who can cellar it.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Target Riesling will improve for 6 - 9 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2011:

Vineyards:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Estate label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty has Riesling planted at Target Gully and Long Gully. Historically Target Riesling was a Single Vineyard wine but its medium style, having evolved in recent years, is best served by blending from both vineyards dependent on vintage conditions. Long Gully consists of Lochar soils which are formed in older fans. They have very weakly developed, thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. These are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. They generally have a 30cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Target Gully is similar to Long Gully in that it is comprised of Lochar soils but it does also have some Bannockburn soils. The latter are soils of the Bannockburn series, formed from sluicing operations during early gold mining activities. Bannockburn soils are drought-prone due to the coarseness of the base material.

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Mt Difficulty Dry Riesling 2011

Ripe stonefruit intermingled with citrus blossom dominate the aroma of this Riesling. On the palate the citrus fruits are balanced with lovely grapefruit focussed acidity; there is a plushness in the mid-palate that seems to defy the mineral acidity. The wine is dry with less than five grams of residual sugar.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Dry Riesling will improve for 6 to 8 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2011:

Proper care at all times in the vineyard and winery was the making of vintage 2011. Conditions were difficult but the quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made.

Spring was fantastically settled, which led to excellent flowering and fruit set. Usual spring conditions arrived late, and unsettled weather was the norm right through January and February! Despite this, it was also pretty warm; it was almost too perfect for canopy and bunch development, leading to bigger than normal berries, and higher bunch weights as a result. Finally some semblance of normality arrived in March with conditions settling. These conditions continued through autumn, other than one wet spell which high-lighted how tender and thin-skinned the berries were this season. In the winery it was a season where the fruit needed empathy, and the direction of the wine was dictated by the fruit.

Vineyards:

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Mt Difficulty Long Gully Noble Riesling 2011 375ml

The wet early autumn of 2011 allowed us to capture lovely stonefruit botrytis characters along with floral citrus. The palate displays luscious stone-fruit and citrus characters, partly driven by the 220g/L^-1 residual sugar, which lead into a rich full mid palate and finish on a lovely citrus note. Great natural acidity has resulted in a wine that starts sweet but finishes with a clean flourish.

Cellaring potential:

Mt Difficulty Long Gully Riesling will improve for 7-12 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage:

Proper care at all times in the vineyard and winery was the making of vintage 2011. Conditions were difficult but the quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made.

Vineyard:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard wines are even more site specific, created to express the terroir from which they come, and thus Mt Difficulty Long Gully Noble Riesling is the essence of the vineyard itself. Long Gully consists of Lochar soils which are formed in older fans. They have very weakly developed, thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. These are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. They generally have a 30 cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels.

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Mt Difficulty Sauvignon Blanc 2011

An ideal warm dry autumn has resulted in aromatics of passionfruit and melon with background notes of dried hay. These aromas are replicated as flavours on entry into the palate, moving into a full textured rich mid-palate and finishing with lingering minerality. This wine is ideal for sensible summer evening drinking.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Sauvignon Blanc will improve for 3-5 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2011:

Vineyards:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty has only one planting of Sauvignon Blanc which fulfils these criteria, on Templars Hill alongside the winery. This area of Mt Difficulty has undergone enormous transformations prior to ever becoming a vineyard. It was formed from the gravels washed down during mining operations, and the gravels thus deposited were then largely carted away and used for road metal on many local roads. The soils across the vineyard are a mixture of heavy Scotland Point clay soils alternating with the drought-prone coarse gravel Bannockburn soils (classified as man-made due to the sluice mining). This vineyard is by far the most difficult to manage from an irrigation perspective of all the Mt Difficulty vineyards.

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Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir Rosé 2011

Our Rosé displays a lovely red rose petal, whilst the aroma displays savoury red fruits of the forest. On the palate the wine begins with rich, soft red fruits through to a richly textured mid palate; fruit and acid combine nicely to provide a clean finish.

Cellaring Potential:

Mt Difficulty Pinot Rosé will improve for 2 - 4 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2011:

Proper care at all times in the vineyard and winery was the making of vintage 2011. Conditions were difficult but the quality of fruit was very good, provided the right decisions were made.

Vineyards:

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Estate label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty viticultural team and must be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area - the South side of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. Mt Difficulty Rosé is not labelled under the Estate label, having been born of an experiment in 2005 when a very small crop of Merlot tempted Assistant Winemaker Roger de Grauw into trying something new. In the vintages since then it has evolved into a very stylish Pinot Rosé but the label has stayed true to its humble beginnnings. Mt Difficulty Rosé is sourced from purpose grown Pinot Noir in our Target Gully Vineyard, which is comprised of Lochar and Bannockburn soils. Lochar soils are formed in older fans with weakly developed, thin and wavy clay pans which are deep enough to cause no impediment to roots or drainage. These are well-drained, high pH soils ideally suited to viticulture. They generally have a 30 cm depth of top soil over fine to moderately coarse gravels. Bannockburn soils are formed from sluicing operations during early gold mining activities. They are drought-prone due to the coarseness of the base material.

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Roaring Meg Pinot Noir 2010

This wine exhibits a lovely mix of dark red cherry and black berry fruits along with a hint of licorice. Further complexity is gained from oak spice. The wine has a sweet berry entry which displays these same characters in abundance. Lovely ripe textural tannins rise gracefully out of the mid-palate to finish the wine. These are balanced by the wine’s acidity and fruit, to produce a long fruit-driven finish.

Cellaring Potential:

Roaring Meg Pinot Noir will improve for 3-5 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2010:

2010 was a vintage of powerful concentration, with the hallmarks of both a warm and a cool season – ripe dark fruit co-mingled with red fruit and a splash of dried herbs!

It was an odd-ball vintage with warm conditions being over-ruled by ongoing winds and rapidly changing weather systems. Low initial bunch numbers coupled with the climatic variability led to yields being down by about 12% on average. A fantastic autumn helped bring the grapes through their last phase of ripening beautifully. Harvest was the latest we have ever experienced with first fruit not being picked till the 8th April. The blocks which are typically early were late, whilst our later blocks were harvested about their normal timeframe; this led to a very condensed, compacted, busy vintage.

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