2020 Burn Cottage, `Moonlight Race` Central Otago Pinot Noir - Liberty

Burn Cottage was founded in 2002 by Marquis Sauvage and Ted Lemon of Sonoma Coast’s famous Littorai estate. What was once a sheep paddock was transformed into one of Central Otago’s finest Pinot Noir sites, earning Burn Cottage its reputation as one of the top producers in the region. Today, Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate) describes them as “a superstar producer—an asset for the region and indeed the country (and the New World in general).”

To identify the best sites, Ted and Marquis dug 60 soil pits to determine which Pinot Noir clones would suit which soil types. They selected ten clones to plant on five different rootstocks tailored to each soil profile. Burn Cottage is distinguished in Central Otago as the first and only estate in the region to have practised biodynamics since day one. This was Ted Lemon’s one stipulation for his involvement.

In 2010, Claire Mulholland became Burn Cottage’s winemaker, working closely with Ted Lemon. A Central Otago native, born and raised on her family’s farm in Maniototo, Claire has a wealth of experience worldwide, including stints at Domaine De L’Arlot and Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. Over the last 14 years, Claire and her team have continued to build Burn Cottage’s excellent reputation. Winemaking at Burn Cottage is best described as ‘minimal intervention’. Indigenous yeasts are utilised for fermentations, with minimal sulphur use and no filtration before bottling.

The ‘Moonlight Race’ Pinot Noir is named after a water pathway, or ‘race’, that passes through the property. The grapes are sourced from Burn Cottage’s two estate vineyards. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months before release, the resulting wine is meant for earlier drinking. ‘Burn Cottage Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is sourced from carefully selected blocks and clones on the eponymous site and will develop beautifully with age. In 2018, Burn Cottage purchased the ‘Sauvage Vineyard’, which comprises 5.8 hectares of Pinot Noir located in Bannockburn on the northeast side of Felton Road. The soils at the Sauvage site are Bannockburn series, classified as “deep silt loams” containing quartz, quartz sands and schist gravels. All three Pinot Noirs are created with whole-bunch fermentation, resulting in the lifted fragrance that makes them so enchanting.

Ted and Marquis found the aspect of one particular plot did not suit Pinot Noir, so instead they planted just over one hectare of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, harvesting the first crop in 2014. Grapes for the ‘Burn Cottage Vineyard’ Riesling/Grüner Veltliner were vinified separately and aged for 11 months in old oak barriques before bottling. With attractive white peach, jasmine and zesty lime blossom aromas, this wine is rich on the palate with well-balanced, bright acidity.

Fruit for the Moonlight Race is sourced from two unique estate vineyards: Burn Cottage Vineyard in Lowburn (57%) and Sauvage Vineyard in Bannockburn (43%). The two sites are a mix of river silts, loams and quartz sands with broken down schist and granite. The combination of these two sites produces a vibrant expression of classic Central Otago Pinot Noir, with the vines aged between 17-21 years old. Low rainfall and free draining soils contribute to intensity and concentration of fruit flavours. The vineyards are located between 240-310 metres above sea level and are farmed using biodynamic principles. Along with viticulture, Burn Cottage farm highland cattle, sheep, chickens and bees on the estate.

The 2020 vintage saw cool temperatures early in the season, with regular rainfall in November and December resulting in an extended flowering period. Temperatures rose in the summer months with some cooler days and nights. This diurnal range enabled the fruit to benefit from a slow ripening season, preserving balance and acidity in the grapes.

The grapes were sorted in the winery to ensure only the highest quality were used. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts for roughly 17 days before maturation in French oak for 12 months. The barrels were a mix of Damy, Mercurey and Sylvain.

On the nose, there are vivid notes of cherry, florals and pepper with a savoury complexity. There is an elegant and concentrated core supported by supple texture, and fine tannins extending through the palate.