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Right across the road from Jasper Hill's Emily Paddock,a precious parcel of ancient terra rosa soil was acquired and planted to vine by a baronial Mornington estate, highly accomplished growers with a consuming aspiration to grow the finest Shirazin all Heathcote. They settled on a coveted site along Drummond's Lane, strewn with unique green Cambrian shards, a sacred place to yield the top growth amongst single vineyardHeathcote Shiraz. Decades later, the vintages remain excruciatingly measured in availability. Painstakingly hand made, arcanely labelled behind the monikers, Pressings, Block F and Block C, the cherished editions of Heathcote Estate represent the Grand Cru of identifiably terroir driven, small vineyard Australian Shiraz... The likely lads of drummond's lane»

Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Pinot Noir CONFIRM VINTAGE

Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand
A 19th century grazier with a sheep station overrun by rabbits, Mr. MacGregor tried unsuccessfully to reduce the population by catching them and turning them into pies. The locals took up the challenge but the plague continued. Eventually MacGregor decided to plant vines and make a decent Pinot Noir to go with all the pie he was eating. Rabbit Ranch is made to a very soft, fruit forward, low tannin style. Beautifully aromatic, textural with the characteristic Otago richness, clean and endowed with exquisite balance, a wine to be savoured and supped.
Available by the dozen
Case of 12
$371.00
Central Otago makes a distinctive style of Pinot Noir that's recognized around the world for it's concentration of flavour and earthy, gamey qualities. Rabbit Ranch is a commune of vineyards which were once part of a high altitude sheep station in the Cromwell Basin of Central Otago. Vines are predominantly planted to light, stony soils on the remains of an ancient glacial riverbed. A long slow ripening period with cool nights and warm days as the autumn harvest approaches, ripens grapes to the fullest. The growers have enlisted the expertise of Pinot Noir specialists Chard Farm, to craft an early drinking, fruit forward wine in a lighter style with all the requisite Central Otago regionality.
Bright, eye red colour. Sweet nose with ripe berry scents, hints of briar patch and a whiff of gun smoke. A solid palate exhibiting layers of bramble and cherry flavours, supported by earthy tannins, barnyard and stalk complexity, lightly framed by a delicate veneer of chocolatey oak. A generously flavoured Pinot wine with fine fruit characters to accompany game birds, hare or pink lamb.
Rabbit Ranch
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Rabbit Ranch
Land that was once a high country sheep station is now a flourishing vineyard

Sheep and rabbits coexisted on the land for some time but the sheep couldn’t keep up with the nocturnal activity of the rabbits and were hopelessly outnumbered – they were driven off the land and were last seen heading north. The owner of Rabbit Ranch, Mr McGregor tried a number of measures to rid the land of the rabbits at the turn of the century, but was unsuccessful. In the end he decided to plant some vines and make wine.

Rabbit Ranch

The vineyard fell into decline after the second world war until direct descendants of Mr McGregor, Warren and Betty McGregor decided to replant the vineyard, and as they say – the rest is history. Rabbits still run wild on the vineyard and fuelled by high altitude Pinot grapes, some are reputed to be the size of ponies – but that could be another tall story.

Central Otago makes a distinctive style of Pinot Noir that's recognized around the world for it's concentration of flavour and earthy, gamey qualities. Rabbit Ranch is a commune of vineyards which were once part of a high altitude sheep station in the Cromwell Basin of Central Otago. Vines are predominantly planted to light, stony soils on the remains of an ancient glacial riverbed.

A long slow ripening period with cool nights and warm days as the autumn harvest approaches, ripens grapes to the fullest. The growers have enlisted the expertise of Pinot Noir specialists Chard Farm, to craft an early drinking, fruit forward wine in a lighter style with all the requisite Central Otago regionality.

Rabbit Ranch

Rabbit Ranch