Awatere River Pinot Noir

Product Description

Louis Vavasour founded ARWC in 2007 following the bold lead of his father Pete and late mother Anna, who together in the 1980s pioneered viticulture and winemaking in the Awatere Valley after over a century of Vavasour family heritage in the area. Like his parents, Louis likes to push boundaries – and the Awatere River Wine Company is no different. The Awatere Valley is the lesser-known, smaller valley within New Zealand’s great Marlborough wine region. The climate here is cooler and longer than is typical of the broader region, affected by closer maritime proximity and cooler Southern temperatures. So our grapes are on the vines for several weeks longer, resulting in greater flavour intensity, delicious minerality and more herbaceous flavours – that are often coupled with better structure and complexity. Louis achieves great purity in his wines by first growing and selecting the finest fruit parcels the province has to offer. Then, unadulterated, he lets them shine – with minimal handling, minimal intervention and minimal additives. The wines develop with little or no finings, an opportunity only presented when the wine itself is of a very high standard. All ARWC wines are sustainably produced and certified vegan. The ARWC winery and vineyards lie on land passed through the Vavasour family for over a century – sustainability therefore, is near to Louis’ heart.

This has up-front, aromatic and sweetly lush fruit flavours of dark red berry fruit, plums and whole berry jam elements, interwoven with subtle notes of dark herbs. The palate is gently mouth-filling, the fruit sweetness supported by fine-grained, supple tannin extraction and balanced, integrated acidity. The wine carries to a rich, fleshy, fruity finish with lingering nuances of red berry and plum fruit and hints of jam. This is an up-front, juicy and fleshy Pinot Noir with flavours of red berry and plum fruit on a fine finish.