Fat Bastard

LANGUEDOC, FRANCE

This Pinot is sourced straight from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France - from specially selected vineyards within the foothills of the Massif central. If that doesn't make this wine sounds fancy enough its palate has heavy berry fruit flavours featuring raspberries, cherries, cranberries and strawberries. This acidity pairs seamlessly with its harsher notes of smoke, tobacco and earthy vanilla creating a intense red spice and smoky aroma . This drop teeters toward the full-bodied end of the red wine spectrum for a Pinot Noir, although its intensity is well balanced with its smoothness and light finish. Best paired with gamey meats like duck, but if that's a bit too flash anything particularly heavy and fatty that you know you shouldn't be eating also goes down well with this one. 

Squealing Pig

CENTRAL OTAGO/ MARLBOROUGH

Squealing Pig Pinot Noir is fuelled by grapes hand selected from Central Otago and the Marlborough regions. This lovingly adorned ‘rip snorter’ wine has a rich, plummy purple tone from the maraschino cherry and blackcurrant flavours. On the old nose honker has a lovely berry pie straight from the oven whiff framed with spices of clove and cinnamon - wrapped up in some toasty oak. Squealing pig has layers upon layers of fine tannins creating a lasting finish. Central Otago is known for its scorching warmth during the growing season which leads to optimal ripeness for the grapes. The grapes are then cold soaked for 3 days at the winery for maximum flavour extraction. Tannins are developed by leaving the grape skins on for 20 days before being pressed and matured in seasoned oak barrels. This squealing good wine has copped a few notable awards in its time including the 2013 Double Gold medal in the San Francisco International Wine competition and the 2013 Gold Medal in the Honk Kong International Wine and Sprits Competition. This one goes great with a little BBQ pork belly on the go.

Devils Corner

TASMANIA

Devils Corner Pinot Noir is a cracking brightly colour vino with the palate to back it up. Boasting generous flavours of ripe cherries, raspberries and a kick of spice to wrap it all up. This Pinot Noir has earthy, purple tones and an intensely perfumed aroma on the nose featuring scents of spicy dark fruits and hints of berries. On the taste buds is where Devils Corner shines - a flip side to the aroma, there’s juicy, sweetly fruited flavours and finished with soft, ripe tannins and a burst of that well known fresh acidity. The vineyards in Tasmania are located along the East Coast and in the Tamar Valley which is located north of the state. Fruit is harvested at moderate potential alcohol yet full with flavour and ripeness. Once in the winery, the fruit is then fermented with the skins still on using an air maceration technique which allows gentle extraction of colour and tannins so as not to overpower the flavour. Devils Corner is great with heavy dishes that’ll leave you sleepy and satisfied. This Pinot Noir is made to enjoy right now - no need to cellar this one, optimal drinking is until 2023.

Mud House

CENTRAL OTAGO

Mud House Pinot Noir is a juicy and enticing wine from Central Otago. This vino has a bold garnet colouring to it and heavy aromas of fresh cherry and dark berries on the nose, with a smidge of toasty oak spice backing it up. This is an especially fruity one bursting with freshness and sweet spice, flowing into a smooth, long finish with fine tannins and a juicy acidity. The grapes featured in this Pinot were sourced from the Claim 431 vineyard in the Bendigo sub region of Central Otago. This vineyard has free draining loam soils over a schist gravel and uses a diurnal temperature variation, which makes for excellent growing conditions for Pinot Noir grapes and adds further fruit concentration for the wine. These grapes are then cold soaked for a week and plunged daily to extract the vibrant colour and flavour. A portion of the Pinot is then aged in French Oak barrels, while the rest is matured in stainless steel to retain the fruit character and maintain a balance of flavour. Mud House is in its prime if aged for up to 5 years and makes a cracking addition to a little rib eye steak and scalloped potatoes.

Madam Sass

CENTRAL OTAGO

Madam Sass is a particularly sassy vino from the Central Otago region. These grapes are solely sourced from the Claim 431 vineyard in Bendigo, which was historically a site in the heart of New Zealand's gold rush. Aromas from this Pinot Noirs show decadent spices and sweet cherries with a heavily fruited finish. On the palate its a cracking drop - juicy red fruit flavours and fragrant blackberries, guided by silky tannins, a hint of spice and a smooth finish making this red as uncomplicated and easy-drinking as it gets. The surrounding landscape was formed by glaciers grinding rocks into fine gravel and particles, leaving the soil rich in minerals and free draining. The history of the area has created prime growing conditions for Pinot Noir, influencing the fruit to have dark fruit flavours and finely tuned acidity. The growing season saw excellent weather which added heavy spice and cherry flavours. This Pinot Noirs is then aged for 8 months, with a portion of this done in French oak barrels for additional robust earthy flavours, whilst still maintaining the fruited character. Madam Sass is ready to drink immediately, although you will be rewarded with flavours if aged for up to 5 years.

Gieson Small Batch

MARLBOROUGH

Gieson is essentially a household name at this point, but their small batch collection is next level - these are wines crafted from small parcels of fruit that capture the attention of the winemakers. They are then individually tended to in the winery to retain character with the intent of representing the vineyard. This Pinot Noir has notes of silken cherry and plum, overlaid with gentle spices and wrapped up with fine tannins. The fruit for this vino was hand selected from the Southern Valleys which is a region renowned for growing prime Pinot Noir grapes with great colour, texture and ripeness. The wine making process for the small batch takes a portion of these harvested grapes receiving whole bunch fermentation. They then use a coined ‘hands off approach which is used to retain the colour and also allow the fruit to showcase its character. The wine is then aged in a mix of new and old French oak 300L barrels chosen to help lengthen the wine. The hot, dry conditions of the region aid in flavouring the grapes, creating generous aromatics, concentrated flavour and natural acidity. Gieson Small Batch has received Gold in the Wine Orbit awards in both 2014 and 2019. This Pinot Noir is best matched with roasted seasonal veggies and a little cherry jus if you’re feeling fancy. This ones best aged up to 5 years, so savour it sooner rather than later.