Saint Clair Family Estate Pioneer Block 10 Twin Hills Pinot Noir 2017

When the fruit had reached full physiological ripeness and maximum flavour maturity it was harvested. At the winery the fruit was cold soaked for five days prior to fermentation to help extract maximum flavor and colour and 29 per cent whole cluster bunches were added to the fermentation to add a stems component and another layer of complexity. The two Dijon clones 114 and 667 were fermented separately and during the peak of fermentation the tanks were plunged up to eight times in a 24 hour period. At dryness, the wine was pressed to tank then racked off gross lees to a mixture of 30 per cent new French oak and older seasoned 225 litre French oak barriques.
During maturation the barrels were regularly tasted until the right balance was achieved (ten months). During this time the young wine completed malolactic fermentation. The wine was then
carefully extracted from oak, blended and prepared for bottling.