2019 Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir Central Otago – buy online

WHO?

Burn Cottage is named after the road where this 24-hectare estate is located in Central Otago. The estate was once a sheep pasture until it was purchased in 2002 by Dianne and Marquis Sauvage. Marquis enlisted Ted Lemon, owner of the renowned Littorai winery in Sonoma, as their head winemaker, and in 2003, the first clones were planted. Burn Cottage has the unique privilege of being the first and still the only estate in Central Otago managed according to biodynamic principles, which was Ted’s sole condition for his involvement in the project.

WHERE?

Situated in the mountainous landscape of New Zealand’s South Island, Central Otago is the world’s southernmost wine-growing region, with a climate very similar to that of Burgundy. For “Moonlight Race,” named after a fast-moving stream that runs through the estate, the grapes come from three prestigious sites: Burn Cottage (their own fully biodynamic vineyards), Northburn, and Mark II. All three locations are positioned between 215 and 305 meters above sea level, with an average vine age of between 10 and 20 years.

WHY?

Burn Cottage is the brightest star in Central Otago, boasting an impressive pedigree from which the best New Zealand Pinot Noirs currently emerge. “Moonlight Race” is a modern paradigm — simultaneously showcasing intertwined elegance and concentration, it demonstrates the prestige and quality of the finest Premier Cru sites in Côte de Nuits, easily surpassing many higher-priced Pinots. Their self-defining motto is: “Great wines are not made from grapes; they are born from the soil that nourishes and sustains the vine.”

James Suckling – 94 pts