Rockburn Amber is an alternate take on what Pinot Gris can mean as an expression of terroir; an "orange wine" style, we have fermented the grapes on their skins, precisely as we do with Pinot Noir. Leave your pre-conceptions behind and this wine will open your eyes. A single vineyard wine, the Amber displays the complex, textural characters and dusky peach colour generated by the tannins present in the grape skins of Pinot Gris. Fermented in a small open-top vat and hand-plunged daily, aromatics and phenols are gently extracted over three weeks. Malo-lactic fermentation occurs naturally in the spring; after a year's maturation in old, neutral oak barrels the wine is bottled without fining or filtration. Expect complex layers of rose, grapefruit, and peach notes in harmony with broad mouthfeel, gathered by a citrus peel tension. Best enjoyed very lightly chilled with food, we anticipate cellaring potential over the next six years.
