2. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
Overview
Pinot Noirs from New Zealand’s acclaimed and ruggedly beautiful Central Otago region
Central Otago’s semi continental climate with extreme seasons and distinct soils create ideal Pinot Noir conditions
Stylish, contemporary, and vivacious wines
Introduced in 2001 as a companion brand to Mt Difficulty
Fruit sourced exclusively from Mt Difficulty-managed vineyards in the Cromwell Basin
CENTRAL OTAGO
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

3. Roaring Meg’s Colorful Past
Region was discovered by gold prospectors in the 1860’s; by the wine world in the late 1980’s
Legend has it that Meg was among the adventurous women seeking to benefit from the gold rush, setting up a tavern and earning a nickname for her feisty personality
Over 150 years later, a local gorge, turbulent river, and hydro-electric power station bear her name
Like Roaring Meg herself, these wines are bold, stylish, and unforgettable
One reviewer summed it up best, “As its name suggests, this wine does not come and go quietly….A fresh, lively style”
Longer version of the Roaring Meg story, “Robert Gilkison, lawyer and historian wrote: "It used to be generally told in Cromwell that an early party of diggers took with them two girls from a dancing saloon. When they reached the first large stream they carried the lasses across, and one made so much fuss that they called it after her, 'Roaring Meg', while the other was particularly calm and peaceful and the next stream was called 'Gentle Annie' after her."
In lower photo, Roaring Meg hydro electric plant is in upper right hand corner
Kawarau River and Roaring Meg
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

4. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
One of the world’s southernmost wine regions (latitude 45° South)
Produces just 2.8% New Zealand wine, Pinot Noir is the dominant varietal planted in the region
A semi-continental climate of extremes with varied soils: one of the few regions outside Burgundy where Pinot Noir flourishes
Long cool autumns build up flavor intensity, depth of color, stability
Low rainfall and humidity mean low disease and spraying
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

5. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
Vineyard Specifics
Fruit is sourced exclusively from vineyards in the Cromwell Basin, north of the Kawarau River
Vineyards are managed by the Mt Difficulty viticulture team
A warm, early ripening district dominated by semi arid, flat to undulating high terraces and moraines and gently sloping fans
Distinctive, high pH (sweet) soils are a mix of clay and free-draining schist gravels, imparting brightness and finesse to the wines
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

6. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
Sustainability
Accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing Initiative (SWNZ) standards on sustainable management of vineyards and wineries
Living roof on the Mt Difficulty barrel hall insulates, reduces storm water runoff, and blends into landscape
Tank heating and hot water supply use a wood-chip fired boiler: a renewable, local, non-fossil resource
A climate with low rainfall and humidity means a low incidence of disease, greatly reducing the need for spraying
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

7. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
Winemaker
Winemaker Matt Dicey’s 20th vintage at Mt Difficulty was in 2018
Partners with brother James Dicey, who heads up viticulture
Fourth generation vigneron with roots in the Central Otago
Has worked in California, France, Italy, and South Africa
Ethos of minimal intervention and ethical viticulture produces wines that express their personality and reflect their home
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

8. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES
Pinot Noir 2018
90 POINTS
Majority of fruit destemmed to enhance the natural characteristics of the Cromwell Basin, a small proportion retained as whole cluster for added texture
Aged on lees in French oak 10 months, racked with filtration, but unfined
“Dark cherry and wild raspberry dominate with a briary note in the background; soft sweet brown spice characters add detail. Dark berry notes, framed by dried herb elements lead the wine onto the palate. Fine elegant tannins rise out of the mid-palate and then are displaced by the wine’s crunchy cherry acidity.”
v2014
90 POINTS
v2015
CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES

9. CRAFTED IN THE CENTRAL OTAGO  BY MT DIFFICULTY WINES