Established in 1994, Whitehaven Wine Company is a small, privately-owned winery located in Blenheim, New Zealand. Whitehaven winemaker Sam Smail is focused on producing brilliant, distinctive, award-winning premium Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from the world renowned Marlborough region of New Zealand.
Located at a premium sites in the Wairau Valley of Marlborough, New Zealand, our Pinot Noir vines are pruned to two canes each and trained along our standard trellis system, in vertical shoot positions. Each vine was cluster thinned during the growing season to reduce yield and to ensure even ripening and balanced, concentrated fruit. The vineyards are composed of silty loam soil which ensures proper draining. These sites continue to express purity of fruit and distinctive Pinot Noir varietal characters.
The Marlborough region of New Zealand had an outstanding growing season leading up to the 2008 harvest. There was little frost in spring, warm and mild weather conditions during flowering, and warm weather throughout most of summer which resulted in a good crop size. Harvest commenced around the third week of March, which is fairly typical for this region. However, harvest rains led wineries scrambling to bring the fruit in before the crop was severely affected. Overall, the 2008 harvest was comprised of grapes of exceptional quality, with excellent structure and depth.
Once hand harvested, the grapes were destemmed, lightly crushed and sent to open-top fermenters. A five to seven day cold soak was followed by a rapid fermentation with indigenous yeast strains . During the fermentation the vats were hand plunged three times a day to ensure gentle extraction of color and flavor. The fermentations were allowed to peak at 30°C. The wine was lightly pressed immediately after fermentation and racked to French Oak, medium toast barrels to age for 12 months. During this period the wine was matured on light yeast lees, and full malolactic fermentation occurred.
The 2008 Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir displays deep dark ruby and garnet hues. Rich plum and bottled cherry fruit aromas are lifted by spicy charred oak and underlined by a gamey complexity. The palate is full bodied with a soft velvet texture, supported by dark fruit flavours and a firm, lingering finish. The wine will continue to improve over the next two to five years if cellared in a cool environment but can also be enjoyed right after release.
Whitehaven Pinot Noir pairs well with farm raised venison, wild game and other red meat dishes.
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir
Grape Source: Wairau and Awatere Valleys in Marlborough, NZ
PH: 3.52
Residual Sugar: 0.25 g/100ml
Titratable Acidity: 0.56 g/100ml
Alcohol Level: 13.55%
