Clear Water Cove Rosé 2019

Along the length of our North and South Islands, the cool clear waters of the Pacific Ocean carve deep natural coves into the landscape. Intriguing for its unrivalled tranquillity, this spectacular eastern coastline of New Zealand is also renowned for its exceptional wines. In these beautiful, but harsh, conditions our vines struggle for survival, producing low yields of high quality fruit with concentrated flavours.

Vintage Report
Marlborough experienced a mild-to-cool spring period, which ensured that the vines naturally produced lighter than average yields. These mild temperatures then extended into the summer months, coupled with an unseasonal period of rain, which ultimately alleviated the drought conditions we had experienced over the past two years. Carrying lighter than usual crops along with the cooler weather meant vintage started only a week later than previous years.

Winemaking
The parcels of fruit that created this Pinot Rosé were individually harvested over a period of two weeks. The fruit was crushed, destemmed, soaked, then gently pressed. The juice was cold settled for 48hrs then racked prior to a long cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks to capture bright, fresh fruit characters. Each parcel was fermented separately with a range of yeasts to build complexity and structure. Following fermentation the wine was blended, stabilised and filtered prior to bottling.

Winemaker Tasting Notes
Parcels from the Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley together combine to create a wine brimming with varietal character, balance and elegance. This pretty, light peach
coloured rosé has an enticing bouquet of pomegranate, fresh strawberries and honeysuckle. A juicy, rich palate with warming flavours of strawberry shortcake, which is given focus and length by well-balanced acidity.

Wine Analysis
Harvest Date: 28th March-11th April 2017
Vineyard: Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley
Alcohol: 13.0% Residual Sugar: 5.2g/L
Total Acidity: 6.3 pH: 3.45

Pair with: Beautiful with goats cheese, light summer salads or your favourite shellfish.