Mount Edward, Morrison Vineyard, Central Otago, 2011

Outstanding: rated in top Pinot Noirs outside Burgundy in April 2016 issue. Smoky, bacony nose, with the raspberry fruit some whatsubdued. Palate structure is attractive: juicy, fresh, just a lick of tannin. As an aromatic Pinot that retains its classic structure, Mount Edward, Morrison Vineyard 2011is a resounding success. This important property near Gibbston was founded by Alan Brady in 1994 (first vintage 1998). In 2004 it was bought by John Buchanan, and the wines are made by Duncan Forsyth. The farming is organic. Grapes are sourced from a number of single vineyards, including Morrison. Although much of the production is of Pinot Noir, Mount Edward also makes others such as Riesling and Albarino. The 7.5ha Morrison vineyard, with its schist subsoils, was planted with Pinot Noir in 1997, and is Mount Edward’s oldest source for the variety. The grapes are hand-picked, destemmed but not crushed, and then vinified in small, open-top fermenters with indigenous yeasts, with manual punchdowns. A significant proportion of whole bunches is used for this wine, which is aged for 15 months in one-third new barriques. It is bottled without fining or filtration.