Nautilus Pinot Noir Clay Hills Vineyard

Nautilus Single Vineyard Clay Hills Pinot Noir bottle image

Wine Description

The natural beauty of the Nautilus shell has inspired our expressive, balanced, precisely crafted wines since 1985, the early days of Marlborough winegrowing. Back then there were only 80 NZ wineries. Today there are nearly 700. Yet we remain small, family-owned, and committed to the stunningly beautiful Marlborough region.

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Acclaim
"This wine is initially marked by scents of charred oak and espresso beans. With aeration, the cherry fruit become more apparent. It's medium to full in body, with silky yet firm tannins that reflect the vineyard's clay soils."
— Wine Enthusiast, Oct 2017
"Pale ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Clay Hills Vineyard has a delicate nose of cranberries, pomegranate and moss with hints of sauteed herbs and lavender. Light-bodied and elegantly played on the palate, it has lifted red berry and herb flavors framed by soft tannins and finishing with earthy nuances."
— Wine Advocate, Feb 2017
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Clay Hills
Vineyard size
14 acres
Soil composition
Clay
Training method
VSP
Elevation:
395 feet
Vines/acre:
1333
Yield/acre:
2 tons
Exposure:
Northern
Year vineyard planted:
1999
Harvest time:
March
First vintage of this wine:
2014
Bottles produced of this wine:
2,400
Certified Vineyards:
All vineyards certified under Sustainable winegrowing New Zealand
Certifying Organizations:
New Zealand Winegrowers
Sustainability Certification:
SWNZ
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
Cold soak
Time on its skins:
20
Maceration length:
8
Varietal composition:
100% Pinot Noir
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
8 days
Fermentation temperature:
90 °F
Maceration technique:
Cold Soak Maceration and Punchdown
Malolactic fermentation:
Full
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225
Type of oak:
French
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.
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Wine Production

Low cropped, Dijon and Pommard clone grapes were hand-picked and chilled before sorting to ensure pristine fruit. 25% of the indigenous ferment comprised whole bunches to give refined tannins and floral perfume. 

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About the Vineyard

Marlborough is a sheltered, sunny, cool maritime climate known for intense, elegant wines.

Nautilus Single Vineyard Clay Hills Pinot Noir is sourced from a single block on our Estate-owned Clay Hills Vineyard. This clay soil, hillside site has been the jewel in the crown of Nautilus Southern Valleys Pinot Noir for many years, giving mid palate weight, concentrated dark berries and plum flavours and firm fine tannins.