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Red Wine
 

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block 2007 Pinot Noir

The Bull Block, once used for grazing stud Jersey bulls is now a north facing vineyard under the care of one of Saint Clair’s most dedicated growers in the Omaka Valley. The terroir of this vineyard consists of aged silt loams over clay loam sub-soil. The clay soils, combined with warmer days and cooler nights contribute to small berries on the vine which gives the wine concentration and intensity.

For this vintage, the grapes were harvested later in the season, allowing a long ripening period to increase the intensity of flavours. Once at the winery, the fruit was held cold for four to five days to help extract maximum flavour and enhance colour stability. Cultured yeasts were used to ferment the wine. During ferment, the must was hand plunged up to six times each day. Once dry, each batch was pressed to tank and racked off gross lees to French Oak. The wine then underwent malolactic fermentation and was aged for nine months in the barrel before being blended and prepared for bottling.

For me, the resulting ruby red Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Pinot Noir has cherry and plum with notes of tobacco and toasty oak. On the palate, I found the wine to exhibit flavours of red cherry, dark plum, stonefruit and spice. There are also some savoury notes and it has a lingering finish.

This wine should cellar well for up to five years and will go well with roast lamb or beef.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (14/9/2009)
 

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