Two Paddocks
Au Naturel Pinot Noir 2023 750ml

Our ‘no-add’ pinot noir was going to be called ‘Lazy’ as it is made by doing as little as possible – in fact the winemaker, Dean Shaw, jests that he will have time to help with picking this harvest as he has had so little input… Of course the exact opposite is true, as like any pursuit that pushes boundaries, this wine is a challenge for both the viticultural and winemaking teams as they attempt to create an example of a more ‘natural wine’.

Pristine, organically grown Fusilier Vineyard Bannockburn fruit, then zero sulphur or pH corrections, or fining at the winery…it’s not an easy road to follow for the winemaker as attention to detail and experience are tested to uncomfortable limits. However, we think everyone can possibly feel just that little bit less preserved after a glass or two… Namaste.

The Fusilier Vineyard is named in honor of Sam’s father, Major Dermot Neill, a soldier in the Royal Irish Fusilier Regiment for twenty years before returning home to Dunedin, New Zealand, where he ran the family Wine & Spirit business, Neill & Co. Planted entirely in 2000, The Fusilier is 5.6 hectares of pinot noir, on rolling northerly facing terraces at the far western end of Felton Rd. Soils on the terraces consist of deep alluvial fans, which are made up of varying depths of silt, sand and gravel layering all derived from mountainous raw schist parent material.