Mount Difficulty, Estate 'Bannockburn' Pinot Noir

Opens with vibrant floral notes, savoury brown spice and earthy notes on top of a core of red cherry that flows through the aroma. On the palate, supple and layered, bright red cherry notes introduce the wine. As the wine dwells on the palate layers unfurl, revealing silken texture. Fine tannins rise gracefully and are slowly displaced by a tang of acidity and more vibrant red cherry notes on the long finish.

Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir will improve for 10-15 years given optimal vintage and cellaring conditions.

Established in 1992 at the base of the mountain for which the winery is named, Mt Difficulty was among the first to plant vineyards in Bannockburn and realize the sub-region’s potential for world-class Pinot Noirs. Sourcing fruit from 187 acres of ideally-sited vineyards, our winemaking philosophy stresses minimal intervention and ethical viticulture to prroduce wines that express their personality and reflect their unique home.

Grapes for the Bannockburn Pinot Noir come exclusively from estate and winery-managed vineyards situated on the south side of the Kawarau River. While subject to the seasonal and diurnal temperature extremes of the Central Otago, each vineyard has a specific terroir and a variety of low fertility soil types: light sands, clays, loams and gravels. The majority of grapes come from earlier plantings which are predominantly clones 5, 6 and 10/5, while more recent plantings are a mix of Dijon clones 113, 115, 667 and 777.