Lawsons Dry Hills Pinot Noir 2020

The original vineyard was planted in 1982 by Ross and Barbara Lawson, who launched the Lawson’s Dry Hills label some ten years later, in 1992. Today, their small team oversees every aspect of production, from cultivating grapes to winemaking and bottling, ensuring each wine authentically reflects its varietal character and the place it was grown.

Lawson’s Dry Hills have access to over 120 hectares, half of which are company-owned and half leased or from long-term, contract growers. The company’s multi-award-winning range of wines are all made from fruit grown in the Wairau, Waihopai, Omaka and Awatere Valleys.

These different regions and carefully selected vineyard sites provide varying characteristics derived from the different soils and microclimates, giving many options when it comes to blending to that much-anticipated Lawson’s style. 2024 was their 33rd vintage.

The grapes were gently crushed and held cold for 5 days before being inoculated with specially selected yeast. During fermentation the wine was hand-plunged 3 times a day to gently extract colour, tannin and flavour from the skins. The resulting wines were left on skins for seven days post-ferment before pressing to predominantly old French oak barriques (just 10% new). The wine was blended after 10 months maturation in barrel.