NEW ZEALAND 2022 WHITEHAVEN MARLBOROUGH PINOT GRIS 13.5%

Climate :
The 2022 growing season started with soil moisture at capacity, following an unusually wet winter which had seen flooding in parts of the region. Pleasingly, the region did not suffer any major frost events and despite conditions in November being a little wet, the warmth that went with it meant that flowering was not drawn out and resulted in good fruit set and the prospect of healthy yields. The remainder of the season was punctuated by cooler weather and rainfall events, and we were vigilant around disease pressure as we entered the harvest period. Harvest was later this year and Brix accumulation was slow. We experienced another rain event in the final third of March which then required us to harvest quickly in order to retain pure fruit expression. This is where Whitehaven’s new receival building came to the fore, allowing greater throughput while maintaining the quality focus and attention to detail that Whitehaven prides itself on.
Grape Growing :
The fruit used to make this wine is from our Tussocks (55%) and Pauls Road (45%) vineyards. Throughout the growing season the vines were thoughtfully managed, with open canopies and prudent crop thinning helping to create fully ripe, clean fruit come harvest time.
VINIFICATION
Winemaking :
The fruit used to make this wine was hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. After pressing, the juice was settled for 12-24 hours and then racked, retaining some solids in the juice. This juice was then fermented using a selection of aromatic yeast strains. After fermentation the tanks were topped without the addition of Sulphur, and the wine was left on lees for 3-4 months prior to blending. After blending, the wine was cold stabilized and filtered, and then bottled on the 31st August, 2022.