Atipico Under The Plum Tree 2023

Tasting Note: A kaleidoscope of aromas of cherry, raspberry and blood orange through to an array of spices with a mixture of dried herbs. Gentle tannin is contrasted with a lovely negroni-like bitterness and a vibrancy on the palate. The wine takes a nod to being a light and fresh chilled red. Yet it asks to be contemplated seriously as a spicy, aromatic and complex red wine. The wine comes from a small block of Pinot Noir, Gris and Blanc in Rapaura, Marlborough. The vines grow in sandy alluvial silts, over gravelly and stony riverbeds of the past, less than 1km south of the Wairau River. A pair of plum trees dot the centre of the vineyard, inspired by an old-world philosophy of breaking up the monoculture and offering fruit and shade to those tending the vines.

Winemaking Notes: 88% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Gris, 6% Pinot Blanc. Handpicked by friends and family on the 11th of March. The grape clusters were placed in small fermenters in the vineyard block, under the autumnal branches of the plum tree. A gentle foot stomp on the bottom layer of fruit to release some juice was followed by wild fermentation beginning a few days later. A ferment influenced by the ambient temperatures, environment and season. Each day, a visit with coffee in hand. A daily sensory connection with the fruit and ferment in the vineyard. Tactile moments, observing the noticeably warmer part of the ferment on the sunny side of the fermenter and coining the term vinsitu – to be vinified in place. After 9 days in the vineyard the wine was moved a few hundred metres to the winery to be gently drained and pressed. It was aged in old puncheons for 6 months, before being racked with a small 30ppm addition of sulphur dioxide. Bottled unfined and unfiltered in October 2023. All movements prior to bottling by gravity. A naturally occurring sediment is expected. Chill bottle upright prior to enjoying.

Certification: Organic

Alcohol: 12.0%

Variety: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand