Mount Difficulty Single Vineyard Bannockburn Pinot Noir

Long Gully Pinot Noir is hand crafted in very limited quantities and only released in outstanding vintages. Crisp, dark, stella cherry notes sit alongside an assemblage of earthy, savoury brown spices with a background mocha element. These same lifted dark cherry along with lighter red cherry notes dominate the entry onto the palate; there’s a classic Long Gully dense mid-palate with flow and texture. The wine finishes strongly with a lovely tension present right through the fine-grained tannins and spicy dark berry fruit.

CELLARING POTENTIAL

Mt Difficulty Long Gully Pinot Noir will improve for 10 – 15 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

• 5 Stars – Michael Cooper MS
  New Zealand Listener  – 11 June 2018

  “This outstanding red was hand-picked from vines planted in 1992 and matured for 16 months in French oak barrels. Enticingly perfumed, it is ruby hued, savoury and supple, in a full-bodied style (14% alc/vol) with delicious plum, spice and nut flavours that build to a silky-textured, long, harmonious finish.”

• 95 Points
  Bob Campbell, New Zealand Master of Wine
  22 July 2018

  “Made from grapes grown in this Bannockburn vineyard with mostly 23-year-old vines and a small proportion of 20-year-old vines. Light, delicate pinot noir with impressive purity. Red fruits, floral and subtle spice characters. A totally charming pinot noir with potential”.

• 95 Points
  Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier
  7 August 2018

  “Specific and focused bouquet with aromas of wild thyme and red berry fruits, a steely almost haunting minerality against a back-drop of soft and mild toasty oak, quite complex. Dry, youthful firm textures from the tannins and abundant acid line. Flavours of red berries continue with red apple, cranberry and wild red floral notes. Decent length and complexity – a wine that requires decanting and preferably cellar time first. Best from late 2019 through 2027”.