Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2022 $38
Winemaker Liam Macklin has been given carte blanche to create a pinot noir that veers left from the classic Matahiwi stable and the result is well and truly wild. Crafted without any additions from just one tonne of their best quality, hand picked, Abel clone fruit, it was whole bunch fermented (100%) with indigenous yeasts before a very minimal, gentle hand-plunging regime kicked in. Left to soak on its skins for 3.5 months, it was pressed to barrel where it spent almost 11 months of quiet sleepy time before being hand-bottled unfined and unfiltered. 2022 was a really challenging year, so to create a wine that’s as ‘hands-off’ as you can possibly be, was a big risk, but it’s paid off in that it’s a fresh, highly textural example, with underlying wild cherry and soft wild berry characters, suede-like tannins and clay-dust complexity. Fresh acidity, dried herb and spice notes accentuate it’s long, gorgeously grainy finish.
