With ANZAC Day almost upon us, we would like to offer you a chance to purchase an ANZAC inspired wine, and in so doing, donate half the funds to the Missing Wingman Trust. This trust does excellent work supporting families of Air Force personnel who have fallen in the line of duty. As ex military pilots ourselves, we would love to use this opportunity to honour those past and currently serving men and women of the Armed Forces.
Our 2017 ‘ANZAC’ Pinot was the first tiny vintage to be made at Hanmer Springs Wines. As fortune had it, the grapes were ready to be picked on ANZAC Day, which we thought was particularly fitting, given our previous careers. We started the day with a moving Dawn Service at the Hanmer Springs Cenotaph, and then picked the Pinot grapes with a handful of our ex military friends and family. The vintage was done with a view to see the potential of our vineyard, so we had netted only 10 rows of grapes, which produced a 280kg of beautiful, rich, albeit young Pinot Noir. The grapes were then taken to Mountford Estate, where the wine was made under the mentorship of Theo Coles - winemaker for The Hermit Ram and formerly of The Crater Rim. Small parcels of grapes such as these are not easy to manage in the winery, and the grapes were fermented in an open top barrel. Once fermented dry the wine remained in the barrel on skins for 28 days to soak up the colour and tannin. The wine was then racked to tank and skins pressed using our cute little traditional basket press. Following this process the wine was then aged for one year in a tiny French oak half barrel. The wine was hand bottled under cork with no fining or filtering, so may have some tartrates in the bottom of the bottle. The 2017 Pinot Noir is a deep ruby red colour and has a fruity character, with hints of vanilla and spice from the new oak. Drinking beautifully now, but will cellar well for another few years. Only 150 bottles became of this ANZAC Day wine venture - this is your opportunity to own some and make a difference to serving ANZACs in the RNZAF. Buy your ANZAC Pinot now!
