Dog Point Vineyard
Pinot Noir 2018
Marlborough
Dog Point’s Pinot Noir is a head-turner because of the immense reputation they have as a Sauvignon Blanc producer. Their Pinot is not just good – it’s one of the very best in New Zealand, and truly world class. The intensive vineyard work they carry out to produce distinctive Sauvignon Blanc results in fantastically complex Pinot fruit when carried out in clay hillsides of Marlborough. And, in turn, their use of wild yeasts and long aging gives the wine a generosity and integration that provide both easy and intellectual pleasure.
Vineyard
Dog Point grows Pinot Noir on the clay hill slopes, and more specifically has 6 clones that were planted starting in 1983. Vines are managed so that yields are 35 hl/ha, and as with all Dog Point wines, the picking is by hand (only 5% of New Zealand fruit is hand-picked). Dog Point operates under what is called the “Biogro” program, an initiative to promote the production of premium quality wine utilizing environmentally friendly and responsible practices, details of which are further down.
Winemaking
Hand picked and chilled overnight prior to hand-sorting. 75% destemmed and 25% whole bunches are fermented in small stainless open top fermenters with 100% indigenous yeasts over a period of 3 weeks. After pressing, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for eighteen months (30% new), and then bottled without fining or filtration.
Vintage
A mild spring free of frost alerts, resulted in an extremely good budburst with nice even growth across all
varieties. Above average early/mid-summer temperatures with generally settled weather ensured an excellent
flowering and fruit set, with January the warmest in over 60 years of statistical records. This led to an
earliest harvest, however the month also produced another climatic record with by far the highest rainfall
recorded for February, necessitating additional canopy management, under vine weeding and inter row mowing.
Low cropping with good open canopies allowed sunlight and wind penetration to do their job, which certainly
won the day in a testing, but rewarding vintage.
Tasting Note
Deep ruby in color, with perfumed aromas of bright, violet red berry fruits. The fruit is supported by dried herb and characteristic brown spice notes and complex smokiness.
The palate consists of a dense core of juicy fruit and bold, fine grained, ripe tannins. A fresh thread of fine acidity emerges and carries the intense flavors through the palate, finishing very long. This wine has all the markings of a long lived Marlborough pinot noir.
Organic Initiatives
Dog Point have farmed organically for over a decade, are now certified. From a sustainability standpoint, their major work is with turning vine pruning and mulch into organic compost for use on the property; planting cover crop to encourage beneficial insects for biological control of pests; and bringing in 2,500 sheep and 25 steers in the winter to keep weeds down and add organic matter to the soil.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Marlborough
Farming
Certified Organic & Sustainable. All vineyards were converted to organic farming in 2009. 2,000 sheep graze and fertilize in winter; prunings are composted and spread; 25 steer also graze the property.
Alcohol
13.0%
Suggested Retail Price
$43
Reviews
"Complex and fragrant"
James Suckling - November 11, 2020 "Attractive, earthy and spicy aromas are wound seamlessly into bright, red and darker cherries. This is complex and fragrant with dialed-in oak. The palate has impressively intense red-cherry flavors with succulent acidity and smooth, fluid tannins. Composed finish."
Reviews
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Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Sauvignon Blanc
Dog Point's Sauvignon Blanc has become the icon in its category, a stainless steel Sauvignon Blanc that pulsates with energy, expressiveness and complexity that push the boundaries of what you may expect from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc
Section 94 is widely regarded as the most distinctive and greatest Sauvignon Blanc being made in New Zealand today. James Healy and Ivan Sutherland were among the first to begin fermenting their Sauvignon in barrel with wild yeasts, a technique that along with the old vines they use, leads to a full-bodied wine that is less fruit-forward, more exotic, and has immense textural complexity.
Chardonnay
Several influential voices in the wine industry believe that in time Chardonnay may prove New Zealand's single highest achievement. All three of the Dog Point wines fermented in barrel are small in production, but the Chardonnay is the smallest, and and times indeed the most dazzling.
