Rippon ‘Rippon’ Pinot Noir Mature Vine 2020

Rippon, the western board of Roy’s Bay, Lake Wanaka. Rippon’s north-facing escarpment forms the meeting point of terminal moraines and coarse gravels; all based in schist. Rippon, a wine issued from all of the fully developed Pinot Noir vines, is considered the farm voice of this distinct parcel of land.

Picked by hand into small, 10kg cases allowing the fruit to arrive at the winery’s sorting table undamaged and intact. This wine represents many small parcels of different clones, vine ages and micro-sites within a single Vineyard: Rippon. They were picked and fermented separately in 13, 2-tonne stainless-steel fermenters.

Each parcel is fermented and matured apart before blending. The winery’s resident yeast population (non-inoculated) completed cuvaison in 14-28 days. The ferments reached maximum temperatures of 13-29 Celsius.

Total time of skin contact: 14-28 days depending on parcel

12 months of new (16.6%) to 4 year old French oak barrels. The malolactic fermentation went through unaided (non-inoculated) in springtime; it was then racked back into barrel and allowed a second winter in barrel before being run directly into bottle without filtering or fining.

Total Time in Barrel: 18 months

Decisions made in the vineyard and winery first consider the effect the outcome may have on the micro-flora of the soils, vines & wines. Rippon does not use herbicides, fungicides, pesticides or soluble nitrogenous fertilisers on the property. All the property’s organic waste matter is recycled to make around 40 tonnes of fungal dominant compost every year. This is spread back over the land during the first descending moon after harvest as an inoculation of beneficial micro-flora for the whole property…and thus starts a diverse and vital web of life on which to live and produce. Certified biodynamic.

RIPPON PINOT NOIR CENTRAL OTAGO RIPPON 2020
Country: New Zealand
Region: Central Otago
Vintage:2020
Score: 97 – James Suckling
Extremely perfumed with a pretty ripeness and clarity, offering plums and al-dente strawberries. Some cantaloupe, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied with juicy fruit that’s lovely and open. You want to drink it now. And do. Crunchy yet velvety and caressing in the mouth-feel from the lovely, open tannins. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Best in a year or two, but right on.

Rippon, Mature Vine Pinot Noir 2020 Central Otago
16 ++ Points
Full bottle 1,305 g. Ungrafted clones 5 & 6, 2/10, 10/5, 13, Linc, 667, 777, Abel (planted 2003). Vine density 3,800–5,700 vines per ha. Fruit picked 16–30 April and each lot fermented separately in tank. On skins 14–28 days depending on parcel. Aged for 12 months in new (17%) to four-year-old French oak barrels. Then spontaneous malo in spring and racked back into barrel so total time in barrel was 18 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.  Firm, spicy, savoury nose. Quite uncompromising – no sweet, simple fruit in evidence. Even a hint of black pepper! Needs a bit of time. The 2019 is showing so much better now … And Tinker’s Field 2019 is delightfully sinewy already. 
Jancis Robinson  12th – 20th July 2023