Seresin Pinot Noir Rachel 2009

Winery: Seresin

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir translates as 'black pine' in French, and is named as such due to the extremely inky color of the fruits, which hang in bunches the shape of a pine cone. Wineries often struggle with Pinot Noir vines, as more than most red wine grape varietals, they fail in hot temperatures and are rather susceptible to various diseases which can be disastrous when hoping for a late harvest. Thanks to new technologies and methods for avoiding such problems, however, the Pinot Noir grape varietal has spread across the world to almost every major wine producing country. Why? Quite simply because this is considered to be one of the finest grape varietals one can cultivate, due to the fact that it can be used to produce a wide range of excellent wines full of interesting, fresh and fascinating flavors Their thin skins result in a fairly light-bodied wine, and the juices carry beautiful notes of summer fruits, currants and berries, and many, many more.

Region: Marlborough

Although most commonly associated with excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines, the Marlborough region of New Zealand has also consistently proven that it is capable of growing extremely high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals, thus helping the country's wine industry grow in size and range. The region is an exceptionally good one for growing excellent grapes, the climatic conditions allow wineries to extend the ripening times of the fruit, and the result is fruit which is packed full of bright, strong flavors and able to express the finer features of the terroir it grows on. Since the 1970s, Marlborough has greatly impressed the world with its superb wines, and this special region now accounts for over sixty percent of the area of New Zealand under vine.

Country: New Zealand

New Zealand is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse countries in the world, and the wines which are produced there are a fine representation of this diversity and overall quality. With beautifully long and warm summers, a brisk oceanic climate and mile upon mile of gently sloping mountainsides, the vineyards which have sprung up there over the past century have brought about truly fantastic results, with wine now contributing a considerable amount to the economy of the country. In recent years, New Zealand wines have won some of the most prestigious awards available in the wine world, with most of the lauded wineries coming from the Auckland region, where there has been considerable effort to replicate the finest wines of the Bordeaux region of France. The Bordeaux grape varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) all flourish in the mineral rich soil of the region, and the results have been outstanding, marking New Zealand a strong contender for finest New World wine country.