Nautilus Pinot Noir Southern Valleys

Nautilus Pinot Noir Southern Valleys

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.

Wine Production

Grapes were hand-picked and sorted to ensure pristine quality. Some whole berries and a whole bunch component were included in the ferment (10-20%) adding floral notes and fine tannins.

Tasting Notes

Floral perfume and fine grained tannins derived from whole bunches compliment the natural plum and blackberry fruit typical of these Southern Valley sites. The clay soils give medium body, great flavour concentration, firm fine tannins and a lengthy finish.

Food Pairing

The combination of earthy spice and bright fruit found in this wine compliment dishes such as duck breast with poached cherries.  New Zealand lamb, slow cooked with star anise, cinnamon and cloves, is another particularly good match to the spiced notes and succulent palate of this wine.

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.

Wine Production

Grapes were hand-picked and sorted to ensure pristine quality. Some whole berries and a whole bunch component were included in the ferment (10-20%) adding floral notes and fine tannins.

Tasting Notes

Floral perfume and fine grained tannins derived from whole bunches compliment the natural plum and blackberry fruit typical of these Southern Valley sites. The clay soils give medium body, great flavour concentration, firm fine tannins and a lengthy finish.

Food Pairing

The combination of earthy spice and bright fruit found in this wine compliment dishes such as duck breast with poached cherries.  New Zealand lamb, slow cooked with star anise, cinnamon and cloves, is another particularly good match to the spiced notes and succulent palate of this wine.

Vineyard & Production Info

Soil composition:
Clay-Loam
Training method:
VSP
Elevation:
300 feet
Vines/acre:
133
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
Average Vine Age:
15
Certified Vineyards:
All vineyards certified under Sustainable winegrowing New Zealand
Certifying Organizations:
New Zealand Winegrowers
Sustainability Certification:
SWNZ

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
Length of aging before bottling:
11 months

Analytical Data

pH level:
3.63
Acidity:
5.3 g/L
Alcohol:
13 %

About the Vineyard

Marlborough’s sheltered, sunny, cool climate is increasingly known for outstanding Pinot Noirs. Grapes are sourced from two vineyards in the Southern Valleys Subregion of Marlborough. These clay soil, hillside sites giving mid palate weight, concentrated plum flavours and firm fine-grained tannins.