Peregrine Pinot Noir, Central Otago

Description

Peregrine Pinot Noir is a superb Central Otago Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s South Island. It is well-known for its elegance, intensity and expression of the region’s unique terroir from one of the world’s premier cool-climate Pinot Noir regions.

About Peregrine Wines: A Pioneer Family in Central Otago

Peregrine Wines is owned and run by Lindsay McLachlan. The McLachlan family were one of the first to establish plantings in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. Their first vintage was produced in 1998. Fraser McLachlan joined the family business in 2012 after having worked through his university summers in Bendigo. Today he is the CEO and director.

The McLachlan family was joined in 2010 by winemaker Nadine Cross. Between them, they have a philosophy of producing wine that is truly representative of Central Otago. Peregrine produces excellent Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc but is primarily known as a Pinot Noir specialist. Their winery design is an architectural marvel, resembling a bird in flight.

Central Otago Vineyards: Diverse Terroir for Exceptional Quality

Peregrine Wines source their grapes from eleven vineyard sites from three major sub-regions of Central Otago:

Peregrine sources grapes from 11 vineyard sites across three key sub-regions: Bendigo (warmer, lower altitude), Pisa (including Lowburn areas), and Gibbston (cooler, higher altitude). They own three estate vineyards:

• Bendigo Vineyard: 8 hectares, producing richer, more intense flavours.
• Logan Town Vineyard: 5.2 hectares.
• Gibbston Vineyard: 27 hectares, contributing elegance and finesse.

These vineyard areas typically produce intensely flavoured wines of finesse and elegance, with the predominantly schist soils adding mineral complexity.

Peregrine Pinot Noir Winemaking

• Peregrine Pinot Noir is composed of 100% Pinot Noir fruit sourced 50% Bendigo, 42% Pisa, and 8% Gibbston sub-regions. Each contributes unique characteristics to the final blend.
• The winemaking approach has always been along traditional lines with minimal intervention to allow the unique fruit flavours of Central Otago to do the talking.
• The fruit is carefully hand-harvested and then fermented (30% with 10-30% whole bunch ferment, the remainder de-stemmed carefully) in open-top fermenters.
• The wine is aged for 10 months in French oak barrels (25% new) before being bottled.
• Peregrine Pinot Noir is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Sustainable and Organic Farming Practices

All of Peregrine’s vineyards are farmed organically and are BioGro-certified.

The estate has a herd of Wiltshire sheep which keep down the grass grown during spring and summer, then return after harvest to tidy up the vineyard floor before bud break. Of course, their manure also helps enrich the soil and feed the vines.

There are also Orpington, White Suffolk, Coronation Suffolk, Dorking, Leghorn and Rhode Island Red chickens ,which take care of grass grubs in the vineyards.