Rockburn’s Devil’s Staircase wine range had a successful week at the New Zealand International Wine Show. The 2018 Central Otago Pino Gris, the 2018 Central Otago Pinot Noir, and the Rockburn Six Barrels Pinot Noir all received gold medals.
With more than two thousand entries, the New Zealand International Wine Show is the largest wine industry competition in the country. The judging was chaired by Bob Campbell, Master of Wine. Assistant chief judges were John Hancock, Peter Cowley, and Larry McKenna.
The Six Barrels Pinot Noir is made from six expertly-selected barrels from the 2017 vintage. Winemaker Malcolm Francis-Rees combined these to create a premium, single-vineyard wine from Rockburn’s Gibbston Valley Backroad.
Careful vineyard management and hand-picking mean the very best grapes are chosen for the Six Barrels Pinot Noir; Francis-Rees describes the wine as having a peacock flair.
The soft, complex notes of the Devil’s Staircase Pinot Noir are more traditionally associated with winter, but the tannins can pair well with some spring foods, too. Of course, all products in the range are appropriate for a nightcap.
All Devil’s Staircase wines retail for under $30, making them an affordable yet impressive addition to any wine list.
A list of medal winners from the New Zealand International Wine Show can be found here. Rockburn produces not just Pinot Noir, but also award-winning Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Rosé and Fumé Blanc.
