Recommended by John Wilson, Irish Times, January 2013
A rich ruby colour, with hints of brambles, plums, black cherries, raspberry and distinct herbs and spice on the mid palate with the savoury undertones that are distinctive of the vintage. Silky tannins and good acidity give the wine bite and freshness. Matured in French oak barrels (25% new).
Matches well with salmon, tuna, meats cheeses and poultry dishes, including turkey.
With fruit predominantly sourced from Two Paddock’s own vineyards, Picnic Pinot Noir is made in a diminutive style suggesting approachability and value for money, although The Proprietor advises enjoying in moderation.
Proprietor, Sam Neill: "We started in 1993 with modest ambitions and first planted five acres of Pinot Noir at our original little vineyard at Gibbston, Central Otago in the deep south of New Zealand.
I wanted to produce a good Pinot Noir that would, at the very least, be enjoyed by my family and friends. Frankly, my friends will pretty much drink anything, so this didn't seem too hard. To our great surprise, our first vintage in 1997 was much better than we hoped, in spite of a difficult growing season. 1998 was a more distinguished vintage, and in 1999 we were astounded to produce a Pinot that was, we thought, world class.
We hope and trust that you will enjoy Two Paddocks wine, as much as we enjoy making it. We certainly enjoy drinking it, which makes it a little scarcer than perhaps it might be otherwise. But good luck in finding Two Paddocks anyway!"
