Burn Cottage - "Moonlight Race" Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 750ml (13.5% ABV)

The "Moonlight Race" name comes from a water pathway which passes through the Burn Cottage Property, one of the hundreds of water channels, “races”, which were created during the early years of European immigration to bring water down from the mountains around us. The Moonlight Race ebbs and flows during our seasons, its beginnings held in melted snow and rain high in the Pisa Mountain Range, 1100-1600 Metres above the Burn Cottage property. In their work with biodynamic farming, using the moon phases is an important part of how they farm their property and vineyard.

Moonlight Race is solely about 3 unique estate vineyards:

56% Burn Cottage Vineyard, 22% from the Sauvage Vineyard and 22% from Luna Vineyard. Seven percent whole bunch was in the ferment with 17 days on skins and oak included 22% new French oak. The wine's pH is 3.73, with a total acidity of five grams per liter.

Vines are 7-24  years old. The combination of these sites produces a vibrant expression of classic Central Otago Pinot Noir

This wine quickly gained a cult following with the 2020 vintage scoring 96 points from Wine Spectator

#20 in Top 100 Wines of New Zealand, 2024

James Suckling 96
Bright and lifted aromas of strawberries, wild raspberries, citrus peel and cherries on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy tannins giving notes of blackberries, mocha, lead pencil and wet bark. Refined and pure with 20% whole-cluster.

A fascinating Pinot - simultaneously classic and forward thinking in style. The nose is a kaleidoscope: mushroom earthiness, savory herbs, ash, bruised plum - the medium bodied palate is a bit more supple & robust, marionberry, wild red berries, clove, chai tea, sandalwood, finely woven tannin and minerality on the finish.  

region: Central Otago, New Zealand

varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

style: medium bodied red

farming/cellar: Certified Biodynamic, hand harvested, ambient yeast, 20% whole cluster, 17 day fermentation, aged in 22% new French oak from the Damy, Mercurey and Sylvain cooperages, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

pairing: filet mignon topped with bleu cheese, mushroom ravioli, blackened New Zealand salmon filet