Palliser Estate Single Vineyard ‘Hua Nui’ Pinot Noir

Description

Palliser Estate Single Vineyard ‘Hua Nui’ Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the Martinborough wine-growing region at the very south of New Zealand’s North Island. The 100% Pinot Noir grapes come from the estate’s organic Hua Nui vineyard. It is a concentrated and silky Pinot Noir made with minimal interventions. Available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

A Pioneering Martinborough Winery

Palliser Estate is a prominent winery located in Martinborough. Founded in the mid-1980s, Palliser Estate has become one of the leading producers in the Martinborough wine region, known for its focus on quality and sustainability. Palliser Estate itself is located in the small village of Martinborough and is named after the local geographical landmark of Cape Palliser, which was, in turn, named after a British Naval Officer by Captain James Cook.

Established in 1984

The first grapes were planted at Palliser Estate in 1984, with the first commercial wines released in 1989 and the first exports in 1991. Today, the estate comprises some 92 hectares (around 228 acres) of vineyards planted with mainly Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, along with some Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. The vineyards are located on the “Martinborough Terrace,” a small yet unique area of land at the southern end of the North Island.

Hua Nui Vineyard

The Hua Nui vineyard covers some 6.5 hectares and is located next to the Pinnacles Vineyard but a little higher. The vineyard was planted with 6 different Pinot Noir clones in 1998. Wines produced from here were Palliser’s first single-vineyard wines. The vineyard was BioGro Certified Organic in 2020. The name means “fruits of abundance”.

In The Vineyards

Palliser Estate places a lot of importance (more than many) on good vineyard practices. They train their vines to achieve a low canopy density and well-exposed fruit. This, combined with judicious leaf plucking, produces the distinctive fruit flavours in the wine. When the grapes are judged to be at their optimum maturity, they are harvested and processed to retain the inherent fruitiness of this varietal.

Palliser Estate Single Vineyard ‘Hua Nui’ Pinot Noir Winemaking

• 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Palliser’s organic vineyard, Hua Nui.
• The fruit is handpicked, followed by a period of cold soak, wild fermentation and gentle pumpovers and plunging.
• The wine is pressed to French oak barrels for a period of 10 months, during which time it undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften the wine and add complexity.
• The blend comprised 50% Clone Abel, 34% of 115 and 16% of 667.
• New oak is 34%.
• Whole bunch portion is 33%.
• The wine was lightly fined and bottled unfiltered in March 2023.