Amphora Sangiovese 2020

Very little rain in the spring was followed by drought conditions throughout the summer. The vines struggled in these conditions, and produced only about 1/3 of their normal crop. But the fruit was very concentrated.

The fruit was in perfect shape when we harvested - although a smaller vintage as mentioned above. This was also the Covid harvest when NZ was in lockdown. But the weather was sunny and dry throughout the 2-week process.

The fruit was de-stemmed and crushed, as it was pumped into the terracotta Amphora. The fermentation lasted several weeks. When finished, the Amphora was closed, and the skins left in the wine for 8 months. At that time, the skins were removed, and the wine was returned to the Amphora for a further 4 months.

Low sulphites were used throughout the maturation period, as the skins act as a preservative. Terracotta, being porous, helps develop the characters of the wine. But, unlike oak barrels, does not impart any significant flavour influence. Making wine in an Amphora is an ancient process. It is the original fermentation vessel, and is the most natural way of processing grapes into wine. Enjoying this wine, is like going back in time…

The wine is very dark, with firm but soft tannins. We use the same vines each year for our Amphora wines, and employ the same winemaking techniques. This means that the variables each year are simply an indication of how the vines have responded to that particular summer. We are interested in Terroir and this represents the closest example of a wine reflecting our particular vineyard and that particular summer. And each vintage is different!