This was an excellent vintage pinot noir with modest crop levels of beautifully ripened fruit, which has given the wine excellent depth and concentration.  It was made entirely naturally using traditional Burgundian methods, without the addition of any micro-organisms.  It was matured in French oak barriques for 18 months prior to blending and bottling.  Prima Donna is made only in special years and it is a selection of barrels which best reflect the vineyard and the vintage.  Typically it comes from vines of at least 25 years of age.
 
On release the wine is a deep crimson shot with lingering hints of purple.  It is redolent with suggestions of ripe red-berry fruits, wild cherries and blueberries.  These intertwine with whiffs of barbequed meats, grilled mushrooms, wood-smoke, dark chocolate and vanilla pods.  Although the entry is soft it seems to rapidly expand in the mouth to become rich, powerful and muscular.  In spite of this it retains refinement and poise with a long robe of velvety tannins, which flow through the palate and help draw out its lingering, spicy, tangy after-taste.

We only make Prima Donna in the best years and 2009 was certainly one of these.  This was a splendid vintage in general and an exceptional one for pinot noir with perfect weather throughout the season.  Modest crops have given the wine excellent fruit expression.  This wine was made naturally using traditional Burgundian methods, with no added micro-organisms.  It was produced by blending the barriques which we felt best expressed our vineyard and the season.  Typically these come from vines over a quarter of a century old, which are on their own roots.
 
On release the wine has a vibrant crimson hue.  The unfolding aroma is multi-layered and complex, suggesting bright red fruits, blackberries, raspberries, black cherries and purple plums.  There are also savoury nuances reminiscent of roast meats and grilled mushrooms, intermingled with whiffs of wood-smoke.  The palate entry is seductively light but the wine seems to expand in the mouth to become rich and muscular, while retaining an even flow of velvety, but tangy, tannins.  These at the same time excite but soothe the taste buds and draw out the wine’s long lingering finish.  Although it will be enjoyed on release, with careful cellaring it should develop other fascinating nuances over the next decade and live well beyond this.

The growing season was longer than usual as mild spring weather resulted in early bud-burst, but was followed by cool nights which prevented excessively rapid growth.  We had good accumulation of summer heat and a long, dry autumn.  Harvest was, as usual, in April. The fruit was beautifully physiologically ripe when picked, but yet had good levels of natural acid without excessive concentration of sugar.

Prima Donna is only made in special vintages. The whole growing season was ideal apart from the period when the vines were in flower. This was the coldest and wettest December Waipara has ever experienced and as a result the number of berries setting was extremely low, resulting in the smallest crops we have seen. Because of this the wine has extra concentration and depth.

A mild spring was followed by extremely hot weather over the early and middle part of summer. Initially we thought the season might be too hot for pinot noir but the latter part of summer was quite cool, bringing things back into balance. The autumn was dry, lingering and warm...

Cool weather during the flowering reduced the "set", which resulted in a small crop of grapes on the vines. The rest of the growing season was excellent and the autumn was long and warm, so that the Pinot Noir grapes were harvested in optimal condition...

The vines were carefully trained by hand so that the leaves and bunches were fully exposed to the sun. This included the removal of all leaves which might cause excessive shading of the grapes and of other leaves within the canopy...

A mild spring led to the vines bursting into leaf early. The summer days were hot but the nights tended to be cool, leading to a large diurnal temperature variation...

PRIMA DONNA - Principle female singer in opera. Pinot Noir is the Prima Donna of grape varieties, and is by nature temperamental...