Grape Varieties
100% Pinot Noir
Winery
The Delta farm, first established in 1848, was purchased in 2000 by four partners, including winemaker Matt Thomson and David Gleave of Liberty Wines. The Delta vineyard is now just over 30 hectares in size and was planted in 2001 and 2002 with the best Dijon clones of Pinot Noir. This specialisation in Pinot Noir sets Delta apart from the crowd in Marlborough.
Winemaker
Matt Thomson
Viticulture
This is a 40 hectare vineyard in Marlborough of which 45% is on the "flats" while 55% is on the hills that rise to about 175 metres. Hatter's Hill is a selection of the best fruit from the vineyards on these hills. The quality is further enhanced at blending when only the best barrels are selected for this wine. Yields are about 6 tonnes/ha. Vertical shoot positioning is used to give the vine’s canopy the sunlight it needs, and to give the grapes the exposure they require to ripen. Soils are clay and combine with the quality of the light and climate to make this site ideal for the production of top quality Pinot Noir.
Winemaking & Maturation
2007 was a model vintage for Pinot Noir in Marlborough. Berry size was relatively small, giving good colour, tannins and weight, while the fairly cool conditions provided good aromatic Pinot Noir characters. Fruit was destemmed, but not crushed, into open-top fermenters that hold 4 tonnes of fruit. 5% of whole berries and stems were added to the fermentation in order to add complexity to the aroma. About 50% of the blend was fermented with wild yeasts. The grapes were cold soaked for 5 days and then fermented at temperatures of up to 34°C, with frequent gentle handplunging. The wine was racked to a mixture of new (36%) and seasoned (27%) French oak barrels, with 37% of the blend remaining in stainless steel tanks for malo-lactic fermentation and ageing on light yeast lees. The wine was blended and bottled after ten months of ageing.
Tasting Note
Dense ruby in colour this wine has fragrant aromas of cherries and ripe plums, integrated with floral notes and an underlying layer of toasty oak. On the palate it is medium bodied with flavours of ripe cherries, plums and spicy oak. Elegant tannins and well balanced acidity lead on to a long, richly flavoured finish.
