|
An Italian word meaning realism and truth, Verismo also describes the ‘golden age’ of opera in the late 1800s. Verismo operas are based on simple stories but ones characterized by great passion and heightened emotions.. |
2008 Vintage
“Dark purple-red hues with an intense spice-laden aroma of cherry and plum over black forest gateaux create the first impression. The palate opens quickly with a broad spectrum of warm red fruits which are balanced by a tight structure of supple but dense plum-stone and vanilla pod tannins.” Olly Masters – Winemaker Vintage Notes 2008 was a spectacular season with cooler temperatures initially but then warming to optimum levels of dry and relatively calm conditions. Excellent weather at flowering resulted in a great fruit set. Due to the sheer amount of fruit on the vines, extensive thinning was carried out to maintain fruit concentration with the vines carrying only one bunch per cane. The Pinot Noir was hand-picked at 3.35 tonnes per hectare. Food Match Pinot Noir is the ultimate food wine as it’s perfect with most meats but especially lamb, venison and veal. Some of the classic Pinot Noir matches are with game birds such as quail, pheasant, turkey and duck. It can accompany a wide range of vegetable dishes, autumnal fruits as well as mild or creamy cheeses. Details
Winemaking The fruit was chilled overnight before crushing the next day typically a 3-5 tonne lots. The crushed fruit was then cold soaked for 5 to 7 days after which it was allowed to warm as the natural yeast ferment took place. Cooling was used to ensure the ferments peaked below 32 degrees Celcuis. The wine was then held warm (>20 degrees Celcius)post ferment to allow ongoing tannin integration. After an average of 24 days on skins the wines were then pressed to tank where they were settled for 1-2 days before being racked to French oak hogsheads (34% new, 300 litre). The wine was inoculated for malolactic ferment whcih took place in the following spring. For Verismo the final wine selection was made by identifying superior ferments and barrels as all the wines matured post malolactic. The final selection used in this vintage recieved ~65% new oak. The wine was then racked once prior to the ’09 vintage then returned to oak. It did not recieve any filtration prior to bottling in July 2009 Misha’s Vineyard Misha’s Vineyard is located on one of the most spectacular sites in New Zealand at the edge of Lake Dunstan in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. The sun drenched north-west facing terraces of the 57 hectare estate provide the optimal conditions for producing world-class Pinot Noir and a range of aromatic white varieties. |
