Louis Latour Agencies

Pyramid Valley release 2019 Botanicals Collection in the UK

01 November 2021

This week the 2019 Botanicals Collection from Pyramid Valley arrive in the UK. This is the first vintage since Steve Smith MW and Brian Sheth bought the estate that has been vinified wholly by Huw Kinch. Huw joined the team in 2018. Huw spent 10 years crafting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Martinborough but has moved further south to explore a new expression of these varieties. 

Pyramid Valley is a truly unique estate where altitude, limestone, slope, rock and rich soils meet to produce profound Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The story began at the turn of the 21st century when Mike and Claudia Weersing established the site and set about creating the vineyards over almost the next two decades.

2017 marked the next step in Pyramid Valley’s history when the Weersings decided to sell to Steve Smith MW (perhaps best known for establishing Craggy Range) and his business partner and wildlife conservationist Brian Sheth. Steve and Brian are building on the work done by the Weersings to fulfil the full potential of the site. In 2018 they purchased a second vineyard in Lowburn, Central Otago called Manata Estate, an established vineyard that has produced exceptional Pinot Noir since 2002. Staying true to the estate’s founding principles, both sites are managed following the principals of biodynamic viticulture and the winemaking follows natural processes with the use of indigenous yeast, no additives, natural fining and little, if any, filtration.

 

2019 FIELD OF FIRE CHARDONNAY

Named after the type of grass growing in the vineyard, this densely planted Chardonnay site sits on a southeast-facing, clay-limestone slope, which has been farmed biodynamically from the beginning. Although recently expanded by one hectare, the original plantings cover only a quarter of a hectare. Field of Fire is cooler and has less limestone resulting in a more vigorous site than the Lion’s Tooth vineyard, and the wine typically shows a tighter, mineral core cloaked by layered, complex and fleshy fruit.

The grapes for the 2019 were foot-stomped in the original shed, then whole-bunch pressed. The juice fermented wild on full solids before spending 17 months on lees in high-quality, used French oak. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is a Chardonnay that has amazing poise and length and a vibrant tension to the wine with hints of lemon curd and brioche. It is a wine that celebrates acidity and fruit.

(Pictured: Field of Fire Vineyard)

 

2019 LION’S TOOTH CHARDONNAY

This 0.4-hectare site takes its name from the vineyard’s abundance of dandelions (‘dent-de-lion’, or lion’s tooth in French). It is a steeply inclined, east-facing site on the classic limestone and clay of the area but here the lower levels of clay compared to Field of Fire result in it being the less vigorous of the two Chardonnay blocks. It is also more exposed and ripens earlier. In 2019, Lion’s Tooth was picked more than a week before Field of Fire.

The winemaking is the same as for the Field of Fire yet the differences in the signature of place are obvious. Here, the terroir offers breadth and layers, although the wine retains the cool energy of the climate and the limestone soils. It is a wine that celebrates richness and tension.

(Pictured: Lion's Tooth Vineyard)

 

2019 ANGEL FLOWER PINOT NOIR

Angel Flower is a cooler, more exposed block than Earth Smoke. The shallow soils and north-facing aspect here result in a more floral and aromatic wine, although the weight and shape of the palate have much in common with Pyramid’s other single-site Pinot. The team have also recently planted Chardonnay on these soils, recognising its potential as a great white wine terroir.

Angel Flower is the prettiest of many synonyms for yarrow; a grassland and pasture plant with delicate, fennel-like leaves and a brilliant mass of white flowers. Yarrow is the basis of the biodynamic preparation 502 and is strongly associated with mobilising natural sulphur and potassium in the soil. It is a Pinot Noir that explodes out of the glass with exotic spices and perfume and it is quite alluring. Texturally, it slips across your tongue with fine silky tannins. It is a wine that celebrates florals and elegance.

(Pictured: Angel Flower Vineyard)

 

2019 EARTH SMOKE PINOT NOIR

Earth Smoke is an expansive, east-facing slope with strong, beautifully structured soils that are comparatively high in limestone. The name comes from the nickname given to fumitory, a plant of the poppy family that can be found thriving in this 0.85-hectare plot.

Although both wines share a familial DNA, the later-picked Earth Smoke is typically the more structured and darker of the two, with more fruit weight to go with its tender, fine tannins. The fruit for the 2019 was carefully hand-sorted, fully destemmed and fermented wild. Following 27 to 28 days on skins, the juice was pressed, then settled in tank before being transferred by gravity to French barrels for 16 months. It is a Pinot Noir that is brooding with darker fruits, and it has a beautiful structure and earthy texture. It is a wine that celebrates complexity and earthiness.

(Pictured: Earth Smoke Vineyard)

The 2019 vintage is incredibly limited but if you would like more information, please get in touch.