2024 Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Gris

A lush, textural Central Otago Pinot Gris that balances weight and freshness with a bit of extra winemaking flair.

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Sale price$29.00
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Description

Mt Difficulty’s Bannockburn Pinot Gris has always leant toward the richer, more textural side of the variety, and the 2024 vintage keeps that streak going. The fruit comes from several estate vineyards across Bannockburn, each bringing its own little twist to the blend - from stony, dry sites to patches of heavier clay, all shaped by Central Otago’s classic combo of warm days and cool nights.

This was a warm, dry season, producing small, concentrated berries with plenty of flavour. The winemaking keeps things interesting: wild ferments, a stint in a concrete egg for added texture, and a good stretch on lees to build weight. The result is exactly what you want from a Central Otago Pinot Gris - full-flavoured, fleshy, but carried by that bright regional acidity that keeps everything in check.

It’s a white that can handle a bit of thought but doesn’t ask for it—drink it now while it’s fresh and lively, or let it settle into itself over a few years.

92 points
"Subtle but innately complex pinot gris. Sweet apple, dried herb and nectarine build towards honeyed, quince flavours on an almost dry finish."
- Stephen Wong (The Real Review)

92 points - "Subtle but innately complex pinot gris. With coaxing, this young wine reveals light flavours of sweet apple, dried herb and nectarine which slowly build towards more honeyed, quince flavours on the almost dry finish. There is plenty of acidity here but the phenolics are remarkably rounded and seamless, adding a slippery mouth-feel to the long flavours before a light bony grip emerges. With considerable air and time, seed and herb spices express themselves on the back-palate. This will unfurl in the coming year and develop complexity for a few more after that." - Stephen Wong (The Real Review)

Tasting Note
Pear and ginger on the front palate, joined by jasmine and honeysuckle florals. A lovely textural style of Pinot Gris, fully ripe and showing the fresh acidity of Central Otago to carry the full-bodied palate. A long silky finish with pear, red delicious apple, and clover honey to the end.

Cellaring Potential
Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Gris will improve for 1–5 years given optimal cellaring conditions.

Vintage 2024
2024 continued a string of excellent vintages in Central Otago. We experienced a very warm and dry growing season before a wicked wind kicked in from November to January. While soil moisture was reaching drought levels, we managed to keep the vines vital, producing small concentrated berries and powerful wines with lovely acidity.

With no rain during February, we started harvest early on March 14. Conditions cooled toward the end of March, with ripening slowing and the vintage completed by Anzac Day.

Vineyard
The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Bannockburn label are subject to two strict criteria: they are managed by our viticultural team and must be sourced from Bannockburn vineyards—on the south side of the Kawarau River in the southern Cromwell Basin. Each has a specific terroir, largely influenced by climate, and offers a variety of soil types from open gravels to heavier clays.

Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Gris is blended from several of our Bannockburn vineyards: Templars Hill, Station Block, Ghost Town, Rina Rose, Pipeclay, and Gate 22.

Winemaking Considerations
The fruit was hand-harvested in top condition and was crushed and pressed after minimal skin contact once it arrived at the winery. The juice was then racked to another tank for wild fermentation, which was carried out at warmer temperatures to enhance the rich textural characters of Central Otago Pinot Gris.

For the first time, we fermented one batch in a concrete egg, which gave a lovely, textural component to the wine. The wine was then left unsulphured on its lees for 4 months and bottled in September.

Price Bracket $30 or Less
Type White
Body Full Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country New Zealand
Region Central Otago
Reviewed By The Real Review
Critic Score 92
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

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