Rock Ferry, Central Otago (South Island, New Zealand) Pinot Noir 2020

 Rock Ferry’s Trig Hill Vineyard highlights the elegance and capability of the southernmost wine region.  Central Otago is New Zealand’s inland, continental climate appellation, a near oxymoron for an island nation.  Trig Hill is a 19-hectares site that excels producing Pinot Noir on its northern-facing slopes.  Rock Ferry uses 15% whole bunch inclusion and over a year of elevage in French oak barrels to capture the balance of tannins that compliment this Pinot Noir’s dense cranberry, tart pomegranate, and red cherry fruit structure.  On the wine’s finish, the red fruit turns to black cherries complimented by vanilla and clove from the French oak.  Central Otago benefits from Antarctic winds that temper the region’s hot and sunny days.  The cooling winds enable grapes to retain acidity and help give this Trig Hill Pinot Noir a lot of the natural structure and fruit development that shines in the glass.  While already drinking nicely, this is built for further cellar aging in the bottle.