Corofin Pinot Noir Settlement Vineyard 2020

Settlement Vineyard is planted on the slopes of the Omaka Valley in Marlborough. Owned by Dog Point and managed with immense intelligence and insight by viticulturist Nigel Sowman. The East Slope lies in a nor-nor-east orientation and is planted at a density of 4,000 vines per hectare on clay-rich soils. BioGro certified.

Although temperatures September 2019 through March 2020 were above the long term average, conditions were still considerably cooler than the previous two seasons, which were both well above average. The growing season was particularly dry and moderate with only 43 mm of rain December through April. Budburst was a little early and coupled with the dry season and moderate temperatures in January and February, brought picking forward slightly, although harvest was still 10-15 days later than in 2018 and 2019. Physiological maturity with a longer growing season was welcomed, with settled autumn weather providing no pressure on picking.

The grapes were hand-picked 20th March 2020, sorted into ½ ton bins and transported to the winery. The fruit was de-stemmed and sorted again to a sealed tank for five days at ambient temperature. Piegage was employed and a spontaneous rapid ferment began, lasting seven days. Post-fermentation the young wine was pressed after 15 days on skins. Post press the wine was settled and then transferred to seasoned (second and third year) French oak barrels. The wine remained in barrel for 13 months on original lees, undergoing a natural malolactic ferment during this period. Late April 2021 the wine was moved from barrel to tank, sulphured and remained in tank for a further seven months prior to being racked once more in preparation for bottling in November 2021. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.