Misha's Vineyard The Soloist Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2024

Misha's Vineyard The Soloist Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2024"Delicious in its youth, this Bendigo rose was made from pinot noir and handled almost entirely in stainless steel tanks; 3% of the blend was fermented in old oak barrels. Bright, light pink, it is mouthfilling with strong peach, watermelon and strawberry flavours, shows excellent delicacy and vibrancy, gentle acidity and a finely textured, dry, lengthy finish" Michael Cooper, Feb 2025 "It's finely scented on the nose, showing wild strawberry, crunchy

"Delicious in its youth, this Bendigo rose was made from pinot noir and handled almost entirely in stainless steel tanks; 3% of the blend was fermented in old oak barrels. Bright, light pink, it is mouthfilling with strong peach, watermelon and strawberry flavours, shows excellent delicacy and vibrancy, gentle acidity and a finely textured, dry, lengthy finish" Michael Cooper, Feb 2025

"It's finely scented on the nose, showing wild strawberry, crunchy apple, nectarine, and white floral nuances. The palate displays fine focus and elegant flow, beautifully framed by vibrant acidity, finishing splendidly long and refreshing" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Dec 2024

"There’s instant impact from the bouquet with a  fragrant, floral and fruity lift as the wine engages the senses, aromas of fresh red cherries and strawberry flesh, some wild red flowers with a seam of savoury spice showcases style and region. Satin-smooth as the wine touches the palate, super fine fruit tannins and plenty of acidity deliver a mouthfeel of freshness and youth. Balanced and well made with a plush salivating texture. Best drinking from day of purchase through end of summer 2027" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Nov 2024

This refreshing dry Rosé flaunts vibrant raspberry aromas adding complexity with notes of watermelon, candy floss and anise with a generous palate and lingering finish.

After early spring heat, we experienced our first ever significant frost event in late October. Our slopes provided their normal protection, but the frost’s duration caused damage to the more gentle sloping terraces. As it was an early season frost, the vineyard recovered remarkably well. The next major impact was a hailstorm on the 2nd February resulting in fruit loss on a few blocks but had more impact in term of leaf damage which then stalled some of the growth. A generally cooler season than usual with El Niño weather patterns delivering more westerly winds but low rainfall. Harvest started at a fairly typical time at the end of March when we picked the first of the Pinot Noir for the rosé. In spite of a challenging season, the overall quality of the fruit has been very good – but a smaller crop. The fruit for this Rosé was hand-picked at an average yield of 6 T/ha and Growing Degree Days (GDDs) were 1040.

This year all of the Rosé Pinot Noir fruit was lightly crushed, retaining stalks, into picking bins for 6 hr of soaking to extract some colour and flavour from the skins. This is a less extractive process compared to previous vintages with the subsequent wine being our lightest coloured Pinot Rosé, it still avoids the tannins that would be extracted if the ferment was carried out on the skins like a red wine. The clear juice is fermented in stainless steel, at low temperatures (15ºC), to retain aromatics and provide a freshness to the wine. A small proportion (3%) was also fermented in older oak to add complexity. The resulting Rosé is dry in style, with plenty of varietal character and fruit purity.

Food Pairing: This style of Rosé is an ideal aperitif wine but also works well with antipasto, salads, light pasta dishes as well as raw or lightly cooked seafood. It matches a range of white meats and is the perfect partner for summer parties and BBQs.