Guff  The Story 

Alcohol: 14% If you think this elegant pinot

TA: 6.4g/L noir has something of a dark,
RS: 5g/L passionate nature, it could be
PH: 3.49 because it was harvested in the
Fermentation: Tank & Barrel dead of the night. In the dry
Yeasts: Un-inoculated Bendigo sub-region of Central
Otago, where daytime tem-
peratures can reach into the 30s, Duncan Cramp
and his team picked in the coolness of the wee
About the Wine  hours to protect the quality of the grapes used
This wine was made to express the best flavours of our Bendigo vine- for this wine.
yard. Selective use of oak in the winery has enhanced to ripe pinot
flavours. The wine is vibrant with dark red fruit and delicate savoury No stranger to hard work, Duncan and his family
notes. Whole berries were allowed to remain intact at the commence- arrived in New Zealand from Zimbabwe, where
ment of fermentation. After a 5 day cold soak, the must was allowed their farm had been confiscated by Robert Mug-
to warm up and the fermentation occurred un-inoculated . The fer- abe’s militia. When Duncan took on the job of
menting must was hand plunged 2-4 times per day and pressed off managing Curio’s Bendigo vineyard, his determi-
skins near dry. Half of this wine was matured in French oak barriques. nation to forge a new life for his family was
backed up by many years of dry-land farming ex-
About the Vineyard  perience.
The philosophy is to produce high quality and unique Central Otago
“I’ve been farming since I left school – that’s
pinot noir with fruit that is focussed, concentrated and is an excellent
nearly 30 years ago”, says Duncan. “I’ve grown a
representation of the terroir. Production of exceptional quality through
lot of crops, but never grapes before. However
exceptional attention to detail in the vineyard.
the same challenges apply – pests, diseases, irri-
Harvest Date: 12 April 2008
gation. Bendigo is hot and dry – conditions I’m
Yield: 8 Tonne/Ha
well used to from Zimbabwe – we hardly ever use
Brix: 24.5
our windscreen wipers here.”
Age of Vineyard: 6 years old
Soil Type: Alluvial silt and schist overlaying gravels This wine is dedicated to
Clone: Clone 5, 777 and Abel Duncan and Janie Cramp,
  who have shown that the
Awards & Reviews  worst of times can lead to
the best of wines.
Recent release—not yet entered

2008        curio Bendigo Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir