"Prima Donna" - The best barrel selection of Pinot Noir from Pegasus Bay's oldest un-grafted plantings, their winemaking follows a Burgundian philosophy of judicious use of whole bunch and fine oak.

Accolades

"A magnificent rendition of the variety, showing dark berry, dried herb, fine leather, porcini and roasted nut aromas on the nose. The palate exhibits outstanding concentration and depth, wonderfully supported by refined texture and beautifully melded tannins. Sumptuous and expansive, yet structured and robust with an impressively long, engaging finish." 98 Points, Sam Kim – Wine Writer, Wine Orbit, www.wineorbit.co.nz

"Deep ruby-red, lighter on the rim. The nose is gentle and voluminous, with aromas of black cherry, plum, undergrowth, medicinal herbs, earth and floral hints. Medium-full bodied, aromas of black cherry and plum melded with savoury shiitake, dried herbs, lavender, black pepper and earthy nuances. The wine is harmoniously complex with developed tertiary nuances of dried herbs, mushrooms and earthy details; lacy acidity binds and provides vitality and drives. Filigreed dusty tannins framed a fine structure and lent a long, savoury, elegant closing. An exceptional Pinot Noir possesses elegance, power and complexity." 19.5-/20, Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

"Freshly sliced ripe strawberry with hints of rose stem, baking spices, and bark follow through to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fine and polished finish. Racy and complex. Classy. Drinkable and appreciable now, but it will deliver so much more in three to five years." 96 Points, James Suckling Wine Reviews, www.jamessuckling.com

"Complexity and enticement with a full and richly scented bouquet from ripe dark cherry and plum fruits, baking spices and soil smoke, clove and vanilla. There’s an intensity and complexity that offers promise and quality. Rest assured it is fantastic with flavours of dark berries and wood smoke, there’s a light flinty reductive quality that precedes additional flavours from dark rose and barrel spice to layers of lees. An abundance of tannins and acidity for mouthfeel and framing of the fruit. Well made, lengthy and complex." 95 Points, Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com

‘Five of the best New Zealand pinot noir’
"A barrel selection of pinot from the oldest vines on the estate, first planted in 1986. Complex, multi-layered wine, with dark fruit and hints of Amaro and bittersweet herbs; will reward further cellaring." Max Allen, Australia

"For its top Waipara, North Canterbury red, Pegasus Bay wants 'a heavenly voice, a shapely body and a velvety nose' .… Likely to be long-lived, the 2020 vintage is deep ruby, with a fragrant, savoury bouquet. Mouthfilling, it has concentrated, berryish, spicy, nutty flavours, showing excellent complexity, and good tannin backbone. Full of youthful vigour, it's well worth cellaring." 5 STARS, Michael Cooper, Independent Wine Reviewer

"On the elegant nose you have aromas of mixed cherries, red plums, fresh herbs, wildflowers and a deft note of flint smoke. The palate is light-to-medium in weight and your senses are instantly engaged by juicy cherries, along with pomegranate and ripe red plum skins. Due to the ideal 2020 growing conditions this vintage has a controlled amount of varietal acidity and woven seamlessly a thin seam of minerality and a subtle note of truffle from its diligent time in French oak. The result is a finely textured palate, kept on point by casual varietal acidity crafting a nicely balanced expression. This wine has an earlier drinking nature than previous vintages and will impress all Pinot Noir lovers." 5 STARS, Gavin Hubble Grape-to-Glass

THE FAMILY
The Donaldson Family have been seriously involved in viticulture and winemaking for over 40 years. Founder Ivan Donaldson planted the first Canterbury vineyard in 1976 and went on to establish Pegasus Bay in 1986 with his wife Christine. It is a true family business, with all four of their sons involved.

THE VINEYARD AND THE VINES
The vineyard is located within the Waipara Valley of North Canterbury, on free draining, north facing terraces. It benefits from being in the lee of the Teviotdale Range, giving maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes and thus creating a unique mesoclimate. The vines are over 30 years old, with a large proportion planted on their own roots. They are located on the “Glasnevin Gravels” where greywacke stones, silt and loam have been washed down from the mountains over the millennia.
The soil is of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique terroir. The vineyard has warm days, but the nights are amongst the coolest in the Waipara Valley, drawing out the ripening period of the grapes, while still retaining good natural acidity.

THE SEASON
Settled weather over flowering provided a healthy fruit set, which was then thinned back to desired levels. The ensuing summer was dry with very little rain, resulting in perfectly ripened small berries full of intense flavour and concentration. Thankfully, our harvest was able to proceed during the C-19 lockdown, and an unbroken autumn full of warm days meant each variety was picked at its optimum ripeness.

HARVEST AND WINE MAKING
Prima Donna is part of our reserve series which we only make in exceptional years, provided it does not compromise the quality of our estate wines. It is a selection from the best barrels, coming from some of the oldest ungrafted plantings in the vineyard, characterised by small berries and loose open bunches. As with all our Pinot’s, we use traditional Burgundian winemaking methods. Approximately 40% of the grapes were put at the bottom of the fermentation vats as whole bunches, with the balance being destemmed on top, retaining as many whole berries as possible. The vats were kept cool over the next few days to help extract the soft, silky tannins from the pinot noir skins. After approx. a week, the must started to ferment naturally. During fermentation the skins of the grapes were gently plunged twice daily. When the fermentation finished, the grape remnants were
left to steep in the wine for up to a week to help extract a different range of tannins that add structure and depth. The exact duration of this period was determined by daily tasting. Subsequently the wine was gently pressed off and put into oak barriques (approx. 40% new) from selected artisan Burgundian coopers. In the summer after harvest, when the weather warmed, the wine underwent a natural malo-lactic (secondary) fermentation. After
maturing for 14 months, a selection from the best barriques was chosen and carefully blended, to produce the most complex and balanced wine possible.

THE WINE
Intense ruby coloured, it has a fragrant and savoury bouquet. Impressions of pomegranate and preserved red fruits, melded with smoky bacon, fallen leaves, cedar and toasted spice. Mouthfilling, rich and complex, it touches all areas of the palate, delivering outstanding depth and structure. Fine grained, polished tannins are interwoven seamlessly with brisk acidity and admirable concentration, giving the wine real focus and power. This is a sophisticated yet elegant wine, with a long, lively tail.