The Lake Chalice team is thrilled to share that after years of patient cellaring, the 2019 Plume Pinot Noir has officially been released and is now available for purchase. This highly anticipated vintage has been carefully monitored by Winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen for five years, allowing it to develop its full complexity and character.

Building on the success of the 2017 vintage Plume Pinot Noir, which was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2024 Sommelier Wine Awards and numerous top scores from other accredited wine writers. It is with great excitement to present this single vineyard wine from the 2019 harvest. This vintage has already made a great impression, scoring 95 points and five stars by Wine Orbit author Sam Kim. Sam described the wine as “gorgeously complex and enticing, the bouquet shows dark cherry, sweet plum, dried herb, game and toasted almond notes. The palate displays excellent weight and finely flowing mouthfeel, wonderfully supported by refined texture and layers of polished tannins. It’s multi-layered and brilliantly structured with a persistent, captivating finish.”

Lake Chalice Winemaker, Chloe Gabrielsen comments on the 2019 vintage

“This Pinot is incredibly intense in flavour and aroma due to a number of factors during the growing season, including temperamental temperatures during flowering and very dry weather in the lead up to harvest. Although the weather was particularly warm in the summer – maybe even hot, there were significant diurnal spreads during this time allowing flavour to be very concentrated but also acid to be maintained.”

The whakaaro (thought) behind the Plume range is all about letting the wines age gracefully in the bottle. Chloe tastes each vintage at least once a year, comparing them with other vintages to determine the perfect time to release them. As the wines get closer to being ready, Chloe tastes each wine more frequently to pinpoint the ideal release date, when the wine is most expressive and well balanced. Chloe comments, “It’s like being able to see something from the past, the present and the future when you can look at them alongside each other, even though they are very different, they are the same. Almost like looking at a photograph of your whānau through the years – they are the same, but different! And I think that’s the beauty of releasing a wine with age – is that you get to enjoy it through this lens of maturity.”

Introducing the 2019 Plume Pinot Noir

Fruit for the 2019 Plume Pinot Noir was sourced from the stunning Eyrie vineyard, situated on a river terrace in the southern valleys of Marlborough. The 2019 growing season was hot and dry, with small amounts of rainfall in early summer before a season of unwavering heat. Cool nights and hot days in the Waihopai valley ensured perfect ripening conditions for the Plume Pinot Noir grapes, with small, concentrated bunches that were driven with quality and flavour.

Crafted from a single clone 114, this wine has no fining or filtration, allowing its natural character to shine through on the palate. Winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen embraced a minimal intervention approach for this Pinot Noir, allowing the exceptional quality of the fruit to shine through without altering its natural character. During fermentation Chloe added 19% whole bunch clusters to create the perfect balance of aromatics and tannin in each sip. This wine has a slight spice with attractive aromas of dried berries, tobacco and a hint of toasty oak. The palate is rich and full bodied with concentrated flavours of dried fruits, red currant and dark chocolate. The structure is silky but delicate with a lovely red liquorice note and warm spices on the finish.

Whether you’ve been eagerly waiting for its release or are discovering it for the first time, now is the perfect time to savour this exceptional wine.

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