Taste Te Kano Pinot Noir
Te Kano Wines is about to become the newest winery on Central Otago's golden mile on Felton Road, Bannockburn.
Bannockburn, Central Otago, rows of Pinot Noir vines...
The first Te Kano wines were made in 2016 at VinPro by Dave Sutton, who was on staff at VinPro but has since jumped ship to work full time for Te Kano.
His new a role offers him the chance to shape a new wine brand from its inception and he is producing an interesting range, mostly using Pinot Noir to make two tiers of red Pinot and also a Blanc de Noir (white wine from red grapes). He also makes a dry Pinot Gris.
The overall production of Te Kano wines is rising slowly and is likely to grow to 3000 cases this year. Small, in other words.
* Te Kano winery owns three vineyards and will open its new cellar door and tasting room on Felton Road in September this year.
Taste Te Kano
2018 Te Kano Blanc de Noir Central Otago
This blanc de noir (white wine made from black grapes) is made from grapes grown on Te Kano's Felton Road vineyard opposite Mt Difficulty’s winery and on heavy soil, which produces big bunches with low colour, large berries and less suitability for dry red Pinots than a dry white, so this wine was a natural fit. It's dry, light bodied and fresh, thanks to vibrant acidity.
Winemaker Dave Sutton is aiming for a dry wine (less than 2 grams residual sugar per litre) and he builds in texture with lees work, adding weight to the mid palate. The wine spends no time on skins during or after fermentation.
2018 Te Kano Central Otago Pinot Gris
Clean, clear, fresh and dry with good weight, thanks to 5% botrytis in the wine, which gives weight and unctuousness and finishes on a crisp fresh note, thanks to the balance of acidity. Long finish. Very good quality.
2017 Te Kano Pinot Noir
Medium ruby colour, lovely dry, savoury style with a small amount of whole bunch (less than 5% of the whole blend) and a blend of barrel selections made from two of the winery's three vineyard sites. Aged 12 months in barrel, unfined and unfiltered, 28% new oak.