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Our aim is to craft a delectable savoury, dry Rosé. Especially with food, perfect for lunch.
Our aim is to, with our first Roaring Meg Rosé, to be a celebration of the vibrancy and purity of our Pinot Noir fruit.
Vineyard: Target Gully, Bannockburn. First planted in 1994, at an elevation of 280m on north facing slopes. Planted on it’s own rootstocks with a yield of 5.5 t/ha.
Vineyard: Classified as a high terrace Lowburn gravel, generally considered very suitable for viticulture. This gravel is regular in both physical and drainage properties and is easy to manage soil, low to medium in fertility.
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Established in 1992, Mt Difficulty Wines is home to some of Central Otago’s oldest and most revered vineyards. Situated along Felton Road in the famous sub-region of Bannockburn, Central Otago, this unique area of extremes is ideally suited to crafting wines that speak with a sense of place. “Our philosophy combines ethical viticulture with minimal intervention allowing the wine to express its personality and reflect its home.”
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Roaring Meg The road through the Kawarau Gorge to Queenstown can still be precarious with winter ice and rock falls, but thousands of travellers now drive around Mount Difficulty without any thought of William Rees and his mob of sheep. However, the more observant of them notice the names of Roaring Meg and Gentle Annie as they pass by two creeks in the gorge, and many stop to take photographs of the power station at the Roaring Meg. The colourful story of Roaring Meg comes from Central Otago's pioneering past. Discovery of gold in the 1860's attracted many young men to Central Otago in search of their fortune. Following them came a number of enterprising young women equally keen to share in the spoils. Legend has it that Meg was one such lady;Â a high spirited, fun-loving young thing with an eye for the opportunity. Robert Gilkison, lawyer and historian wrote: "It used to be generally told in Cromwell that an early party diggers Novemberof 2016 took with them two girls from a dancing saloon. When
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Looking across the Cellar Door, Winery and Bannockburn, Mt Difficulty is the highest peak and major source of weather influence on Bannockburn
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The unique microclimate of the Bannockburn area is partially created by the presence of Mount Difficulty which overlooks the southern Cromwell basin, and is the namesake of Mt Difficulty Wines. Mount Difficulty is integral in providing low rainfall and humidity for the region. Bannockburn enjoys hot summers, a large diurnal temperature variation and long cool autumns; conditions which bring the best out of the Pinot Noir grapes. These conditions, along with soils which are ideal for viticulture, provide an excellent basis not only for Pinot Noir, but also for Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Chardonnay. The soils are a mix of clay and schist November 2016 8 gravels, but all feature a high pH level; grapes produce
Bellow: Schist based vineyards Central Otago's vineyards benefit from a wide variety of soils, ranging from fine sand and heavy silt loam to rocky schist. Each of these soil types has a pronounced influence on the growth of the vine and flavours of the grapes and resulting wine. In most areas, the soil is derived from loess or alluvial deposits, often with underlying gravel allowing free drainage.Â
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Bellow: Seasonal variation in Bannockburn Central Otago is the only area in New Zealand with a semi-continental climate - nowhere else in the country experiences greater daily and seasonal extremes of temperature. Summers are hot and dry, with autumns cool, generally dry and with cold nights. Relatively low rainfall and humidity means a low incidence of disease and rot, greatly reducing the need for spraying. The large diurnal temperature variation (the difference between daytime and night-time temperatures) during ripening contributes to flavour intensity, gives depth of colour and stability to the wines. Heavy frosts are common throughout the winter, and can also occur during spring and autumn. As a result, most vineyards are on warmer, north-facing slopes. Frost protection measures such as wind machines, water sprinklers and helicopters are also used.
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Matt Dicey, Winemaker and General Manager Matt (aka Le Grand Fromage) has a lifelong association with the wine industry, and is a fourth generation vigneron. After achieving a Masters Degree in Oenology and Viticulture Matt spent four years gaining experience overseas. He returned to Bannockburn in 1998 to try his hand at the ultimate winemaking challenge – making the best wines possible in a region with infinite potential. Matt's winter passion is skiing with his family, while summers bring jet boating and mountain biking "adventures".
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Thank you
For more information, please visit us at /mtdifficulty www.mtdifficulty.nz
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