Akarua 25 Steps Central Otago Rosé 2020

Akarua 25 Steps Central Otago Rosé 2020Dry style Thai basil & quince Roasted hazlenuts Fine finish Quince, pomegranate, white peach and Thai basil, with an earthy note of rooibos tea. Textural and voluminous on the palate with cherry blossom, roasted hazelnuts and cranberries. Fine acidity and finish laced with a delicate thread of vanilla bean. A gastronomic Ros for the dinner table. Winemakers note: Our third release of Ros from the 25 steps vineyard is showing us again fine earthy,

• Dry style
• Thai basil & quince
• Roasted hazlenuts
• Fine finish

Quince, pomegranate, white peach and Thai basil, with an earthy note of rooibos tea. Textural and voluminous on the palate with cherry blossom, roasted hazelnuts and cranberries. Fine acidity and finish laced with a delicate thread of vanilla bean. A gastronomic Rosé for the dinner table.

Winemaker’s note: “Our third release of Rosé from the 25 steps vineyard is showing us again fine earthy, floral and herbaceous notes. The maceration time was less this year and the wine 100% fermented in neutral puncheons, which has resulted in both delicacy and texture. Wines from this unique place taste unique – and it’s exciting to see them as single vineyard bottlings so we can get a picture of the vineyard-derived flavours.”

100% Pinot Noir varietal, produced from the single vineyard '25 Steps' on terraces from 19 year old vines.

Higher winds and cooler temperatures through Oct to early January affected flowering and fruit set, leading to variation in ripening across the estate and lower natural yields. Summer arrived briefly in February and helped lift the seasons growing degree days (GDD) and earlier disease concerns were alleviated by the third driest March seen since 1985 (only 6mm fell). Our fruit arrived to the winery from March the 12th until April the 28th in excellent condition. Some similarities to the growing season of 2017 have been noted, spurring discussion amongst the team of another year of exceptional, awardwinning wines!

This wine was produced in the saignée style (where the winemaker “bleeds” off a portion of red wine juice after it’s been in contact with the skins and seeds) and was wild fermented in 100% neutral puncheons.