Finest Pinot Noir perfection from the rugged landscape of Central Otago

The Amisfield winery is located in Central Otago on New Zealand’s South Island and is now one of the specialists in Pinot Noir and aromatic white wines. The grapes also for this Pinot Noir all come from Amisfield’s own individual layers, which lie below the glacier-formed Pisa Mountain Range. The Pinot Noir plantations are spread across the estate, on the silty loamy Waenga soils on the lower terraces and on the so-called Lochar, a mixture of stony scree and sandy clay in the locations next to the winery. The vineyards are all managed entirely organically, with special attention to maintaining the special soils, vineyards and habitats. This combined with the extreme semi-continental climate produces wines of remarkable clarity, intensity and liveliness. The Pinot Noir grapes were harvested by hand and cold macerated for 4 to 5 days before natural fermentation began. About 10% of the vines were not destemmed. The pomaces were repeatedly gently submerged by hand and gentle air impulses were given to optimally extract the tannins of shells and seeds. After fermentation, the wine was tasted daily to determine the optimal tannin development. Subsequently, the wine was placed for 15 months for maturation in 20% new French barriques.

And this is how the Amisfield Pinot Noir tastes

On the nose, the Amisfield Pinot Noir shows crystal clear, fragrant aromas, especially of red fruits such as strawberry, cranberry and raspberry, as well as dark plum and spicy notes. On the palate, the clear, intense aromas are repeated and the fine-grained, accessible tannin flatters. The wine gives a wonderful mouthfeel and the precise acidity gives a stable backbone. This comes together in a long finale.