The ‘Single Vineyard’ Pinot Noir wines of Mt Difficulty rival the ‘Block’ wines of Felton Road as the most highly-regarded of Central Otago. They join an elite band of superb, terroir-driven releases of Pinot Noir from New Zealand that are demanding a place alongside fine Burgundy wine. The ‘Single Vineyard’ wines are only made when the character of the vineyard site can be expressed faithfully with accompanying exceptional quality. ]

This 2009 Packspur is a very elegant Pinot with a beautiful perfume of velvety, raspberry/ cranberry notes; adding complexity and intrigue are clove and anise spice. Rich, full, red fruit of the forest palate entry leads into a well-textured lush midpalate. Finally, lovely finely structured tannins round out this dense and concentrated wine.

The grapes for the wines that carry the Mt Difficulty label have traditionally been sourced from vineyards situated on the Southside of the Kawarau River at Bannockburn. The Growers Series is a recent addition to the Mt Difficulty portfolio, allowing us to showcase the terroir of different sub-regions. Packspur Vineyard is situated on Heany Road in Lowburn, on the northern side of Cromwell (as opposed to Bannockburn to the South). The vineyard takes its name from the track that was used to pack supplies over the Pisa Range, from the Lowburn Valley to the gold fields of the Cardrona Valley. The vineyard irrigation is a miners’ water right from 1863.