Holly Pinot Noir

Our Holly range is the best we produce. As our reserve range, named after the owners’ daughter, they are our stand-out vintage to vintage.

The Matahiwi vineyard is situated on an alluvial boulder ridge in the Masterton district of Wairarapa. With warm free draining soils and the cool dry local climate, this is an ideal place to grow Pinot Noir.

This wine is harvested from the very best parcels of fruit on our Home Estate, typically from low-yielding vines on the lowest vigour areas within the vineyard.

The 2021 Holly Pinot Noir ripples with elegance and finesse reflecting the warm growing season experienced throughout the Wairarapa region. Bold aromatic expressions of wild flower, red berries, spice and herb give way to a fresh palate with generous length and graceful oak.

Vineyard
The vineyard blocks selected for the Holly Pinot Noir receive additional attention during the growing season with a lot of leaf plucking and shoot positioning done by hand to expose the fruit and ensure optimum ripeness.

The Matahiwi Vineyard is planted in several combinations of rootstock and Pinot Noir clones. This Pinot Noir was made from clones 667, 5, 777, and Abel. Each of which add their own character and complexity to the final blend.

Winemaking

In the winery, the different batches of fruit were processed separately so that the individual characters could be retained. Further complexity was then added by incorporating different techniques such as plunging and pumping over to ensure maximum flavor extraction. As well as this, different yeast combinations along with Wild yeasts were used to add even more depth of flavour. The grapes were left to cold soak for 3 days prior to fermentation. They were then left on skins for 21 days before being pressed off into barrel. There they spent 12 months in oak (23% new) before the final blend was put together.

Winemaker: Miles Dineen

Reviews:

2021
Awarded 94 pts by Cameron Douglas MS

2020
Awarded 94 pts by Cameron Douglas MS
Awarded 94 pts by Wine Orbit
Awarded Silver by IWC
Awarded 91 points by Bob Campbell

2019
Awarded 92 points by Bob Campbell
Awarded 18.5/20 points by Candice Chow
Awarded Gold by NZ International Wine Show
Awarded 90 points and Silver Medal at IWSC 2020

2018
Awarded Gold by Drinks Business Pinot Noir Masters
Awarded 94 pts by Cameron Douglas MS
Awarded 91 pts by James Suckling
Awarded 90 pts by Bob Campbell
Awarded silver by Texsom Wine Awards

2016
Awarded Gold by IWC and Trophy for the Wairarapa
Awarded Gold by Drinks Business Pinot Noir Masters