Rowland Wines

1999 JILL'S VINEYARD PINOT NOIR La Nina – Par for the course! Central Otago, New Zealand is always a surprise for me. 1997 I arrived to find 3 inches of snow in the vineyard. In 1998 I was skiing the local slopes, waiting for a late harvest. How would 1999 greet me? With the fairways free of snow I was able to brush up on my golf for the ‘William Hill Classic’. A warm summer had provided strong healthy growth on the vines, the season even looked to be early for once! No, Senor. The last two weeks of April were yet to be. This time period usually keeps us on our toes as we went in to the typical frost fighting season prior to harvest. This cold snap slowed ripening, although stressful it was actually beneficial. The cool weather late in the season saw the grapes hang for two to three weeks with no ripening according to our lab. tests. But yours truly was there monitoring the situation. This period saw key physiological development in the vines and more importantly in the clusters of fruit. Where others panicked and harvested, we played golf and waited. Not only did this wait improve my golf swing but more importantly the flavors and an intensity of the grapes which I believe has created a bench mark wine for the region. A wine worthy of justifying … the new millennium even. Notes and Stats Style: Accadian Harvested: 2.5 ton/acre @ 32F 11 AM Yeast: 50% Wild yeast, 50% cultivated Rhone Valley yeast. Time on Skins: Cold Maceration 14 days, 32 days total Fermentation Type: 40% Whole berry, 60% whole cluster. Cooperage: 100% French Oak; 50% new, 50% 1-2 year old Clarification: Lightly fined, unfiltered Vineyard Location: 100 % Jill's Vineyard, New Zealand - Central Otago Suggested Retail:  $22 Case Production:  300     Winemakers Notes: Dark ruby color with aromas of spicy red cherry fruits and ginger spices. On the palate, big ripe blueberries with intense fresh ground spices typical to the Central Otago region, complimenting the long silky finish. Back to Releases page... Also be sure to learn about...