Muddy Water Hare's Breath Pinot Noir 2012
Perched on the hillside, the Hare's Breath block earned its name from momentary glimpses by winery staff of an enigmatic wild hare living among the vines. On cool winter mornings the hare's breath can be seen in frosty puffs. Natural air movement down the slopes keeps everything frost free and the hillside soils are free draining, making this a reliable block even on wetter years. A little irrigation is needed in summer, drawn from the naturally renewing spring on the property.
The rows in this block are planted to a higher density than the estates older blocks with a mix of seven newer clone types from Burgundy, including one rumoured to have been smuggled out of Domaine de la Romanee Conti in the 1970s, tucked into a rugby player's gumboot. The vines are now reaching maturity and with careful spur-pruning and minimal irrigation the team ensure a low yield, with each vine producing just enough fruit to create a single bottle of wine.
The Hare's Breath wine is born through careful mixing of the estates' hillside-grown clones, fermenting the fruits together so each can contribute a distinct element to the mix: aromatics, tannins, mouthfeel, fruit flavour, florals and spiciness. The resulting wine is typically dark and dense, with more spice and robust tannins than the Slowhand Pinot Noir, accented by wonderful lifted herbal elements from the block's terroir. A wine with definite structure, you can feel the angles through the palate.
Wine File
The Producer Muddy Water Wine | Waipara, New Zealand
Muddy Water is one of Waipara’s finest estates dedicated to the production of unique, hand-crafted wines. The Muddy Water name is a literal translation of the regional name of Waipara (‘Wai’ meaning Water, ‘para’ meaning Mud). Michael East,...
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The Region Canterbury | New Zealand
The Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island consists of two major wine areas; the plains (including Banks Peninsula) around the city of Christchurch, and the more recently developed valley area of Waipara, an hour's drive north of Christchurch. While grapes were first planted in Akaroa in...
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The Primary Grape Pinot Noir
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