£82.78
The Hermit Ram Pinot Noir Shells 2019 MAGNUM
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
Grape: Pinot Noir
Colour: Red
Bottle Size: 150cl
Alcohol: 12.5%
Vintage: 2019
- PRODUCER NOTES
- FARMING & WINEMAKING NOTES
In 2012 Theo Coles discovered the Limestone Hills vineyard in Canterbury in the north of New Zealand’s South Island. Owned by Gareth Renowdon, Theo agreed to make some wine with him from his 1000 or so Pinot Noir vines. Limestone Hills vineyard is naturally farmed, and the first vintage (2012) was that way too — no additions and matured in old oak.
Since then Theo has expanded the range to include the skin fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, a field blend rosé and another Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from tiny vineyards throughout the Canterbury region, all naturally farmed without chemicals and Theo is keen to stress that every wine has its own story to tell. We agree and would add that this is some of the most exciting wine to come out of New Zealand for a long time; a turning point for authentic, artisan winemakers in a country so often associated with mass-produced wine. These are wines with personality, depth, complexity and most importantly, drinkability.
In 2019 there were not enough volumes from the Arden and Limestone Hills vineyards to make each individual vineyard wine, so The Hermit Ram Shells came to life. It is named after the marine deposits forming the limestone bedrock of both sites. De-stemmed, fermented and aged in tank, only a little sulphur is added after blending.
“Created partly out of necessity and partly out of inspiration. In 2019 I was only able to harvest tiny, but beautiful, quantities of Limestone Hills and Arden fruit. Not even enough to fill a barrel of each wine. Unsure what I should do, I left them to sit, unadulterated in tank, until I worked out how on earth I make such limited wines available to all. In the meantime, when planning the vineyard I planted last November, I decided to taste the two 2019 wines. By my reckoning, the wine from the new site should have the fizz and pop of Limestone Hills and textural sensuality of Arden. Out of curiosity, I did a rough 50:50 blend of the two 2019 wines in my glass, and to my surprise the result was delicious! I was so wedded to single site expressions, I had never stopped to see if they’d actually work together. A great discovery.” - Theo Coles
PRODUCER NOTES
In 2012 Theo Coles discovered the Limestone Hills vineyard in Canterbury in the north of New Zealand’s South Island. Owned by Gareth Renowdon, Theo agreed to make some wine with him from his 1000 or so Pinot Noir vines. Limestone Hills vineyard is naturally farmed, and the first vintage (2012) was that way too — no additions and matured in old oak.
Since then Theo has expanded the range to include the skin fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, a field blend rosé and another Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from tiny vineyards throughout the Canterbury region, all naturally farmed without chemicals and Theo is keen to stress that every wine has its own story to tell. We agree and would add that this is some of the most exciting wine to come out of New Zealand for a long time; a turning point for authentic, artisan winemakers in a country so often associated with mass-produced wine. These are wines with personality, depth, complexity and most importantly, drinkability.
FARMING & WINEMAKING NOTES
In 2019 there were not enough volumes from the Arden and Limestone Hills vineyards to make each individual vineyard wine, so The Hermit Ram Shells came to life. It is named after the marine deposits forming the limestone bedrock of both sites. De-stemmed, fermented and aged in tank, only a little sulphur is added after blending.
“Created partly out of necessity and partly out of inspiration. In 2019 I was only able to harvest tiny, but beautiful, quantities of Limestone Hills and Arden fruit. Not even enough to fill a barrel of each wine. Unsure what I should do, I left them to sit, unadulterated in tank, until I worked out how on earth I make such limited wines available to all. In the meantime, when planning the vineyard I planted last November, I decided to taste the two 2019 wines. By my reckoning, the wine from the new site should have the fizz and pop of Limestone Hills and textural sensuality of Arden. Out of curiosity, I did a rough 50:50 blend of the two 2019 wines in my glass, and to my surprise the result was delicious! I was so wedded to single site expressions, I had never stopped to see if they’d actually work together. A great discovery.” - Theo Coles