The Hermit Ram Pinot Noir Arden 2017 75cl

The Hermit Ram

Wine: Pinot Noir Arden

Region: NEW ZEALAND:North Canterbury

Grape: Pinot Noir

Colour: Red

Alcohol: 12.5%

Size: 75cl

"Smudgy garnet. Much sweeter-fruited and more inviting on the nose than the Limestone Hills. Wild red fruits, cranberry and sour cherry. Bone-dry, stemmy, herbal, dry chalky Pinot. A style statement, lean but not as austere as the Limestone Hills. Very long. Drink 2022–2030"
16,5 points, Julia Harding MW

Producer

In 2012 Theo Coles discovered the Limestone Hills vineyard in Canterbury in the north of New Zealand’s South Island. Owned by Gareth Renowdon, Theo agreed to make some wine with him from his 1000 or so Pinot Noir vines. Limestone Hills vineyard is naturally farmed, and the first vintage (2012) was that way too — no additions and matured in old oak. 

Since then Theo has expanded the range to include the skin fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, a field blend rosé and another Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from tiny vineyards throughout the Canterbury region, all naturally farmed without chemicals and Theo is keen to stress that every wine has its own story to tell. We agree and would add that this is some of the most exciting wine to come out of New Zealand for a long time; a turning point for authentic, artisan winemakers in a country so often associated with mass-produced wine. These are wines with personality, depth, complexity and most importantly, drinkability.  

Farming and Winemaking

 The fruit is farmed naturally with no synthetic sprays. It is picked quite late as the site is among the coolest in North Canterbury. The combination of the lateness of this site and the beautiful active limestone soils creates a wine that is delicate, saline, and other worldly. 

The fruit is 100% de-stemmed to vat. Only indigenous yeasts are used. The fermentation is carried out over 6 weeks on skins. The extractions are very gentle in order to promote the ultra-delicate aromas this wine has. The wine is matured and undergoes natural malolactic in ancient hogsheads and is bottled unfined and unfiltered after the next vintage. 30 ppm SO2 Total. 

This wine is aromatically very complex. The aromas are less about fruit but more about limestone, salinity and truffles. Very autumnal. The palate is lithe and layered. It will continue to unfold in the glass to give a hugely rewarding drinking experience.