All handpicked and transported to the winery in the cool of the Marlborough Autumn mornings the fruit is mostly de-stemmed and lightly crushed into small fermenters with a small portion being processed as full bunches.  The fruit is allowed to cold-soak for up to seven days before we allow them to warm and begin fermentation.  A mix of traditional Burgundian and some indigenous yeasts are used and a quick, relatively high temperature ferment is encouraged.  Once finished ferment the skins are pressed and after settling overnight the wine is put straight to French barrels, of which 30% are new.  Malolactic fermentation is delayed until the warmer weather of spring and is allowed to occur naturally in barrel.  Post malolactic fermentation the selected barrels are racked under inert gas into tank where the wine is lightly fined the traditional way with egg whites.  Careful filtration followed by bottling in March our Pinot is held in bottle until we consider it ready for release.