Region: Gibbston Valley, Central Otago, New Zealand

Wine Notes: Aroma of violets followed by Doris plum, dried herbs with a warm forest floor character; balanced with a fine integrated tannin structure.

An excellent warm dry season with good fruit set and a long frost free hang time.  Thinned to five tonnes per hectare with moderate leaf plucking to reduce acidity.

100% de-stemmed fruit.  Inoculated and fermented with RB2 and Fermi rouge yeast.

40% New French oak.

100% malolactic fermentation.

Reviews:

• Gold Medal - Liquorland Top 100 2009
• Silver Medal - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2009
• Four stars - Winestate, Michael Cooper Tasting 2009