Pinot Noir, being an early budding variety, can get knocked around in the coolest Marlborough vintages, resulting in a lower than normal fruit set. Grapes are hand picked into small bins and transported to the winery, sorted and transferred directly through a destemmer/ crusher into small open topped fermenters. The must is cold soaked for three days while treated to a course of hand plunging for the extraction of colour and tannins, before being warmed for fermentation. Upon completion, the wine is pressed into a selection of seasoned and new 225 litre French oak barriques for several months maturation, a close scrutiny and topping up as needed before an egg white fining, assemblage and bottling.