“ … A distinctive, generous red … impressive complexity, and a firmly structured, long, spicy finish”.
- Winestate Magazine, AUS
Vergence Red
VERGENCE is when the pupils of the eyes look inwards and outwards, during focusing. Wine made under this label will first and foremost be delicious, while also reflecting our commitment to constantly evolving our wine styles. Keeping an open mind is essential for progress and at times this this means looking outside the square, even when it’s untraditional, experimental or downright quirky. The composition of these wines may well change from vintage to vintage and we may also decide to create different batches or “marks” within the same season. Either way you can be sure they have not been made looking straight.
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 and two spouses involved, managing various aspects.
WINE
The grapes for our Vergence label may not always come from our home vineyards, and here we sourced some premium fruit from Central Otago that we felt would be perfect for the style of wine we wanted to make. Vergence is all about looking beyond tradition, so for our 2018 Mark 1 we’ve opted for a 100% whole bunch, carbonic and naturally fermented Pinot Noir. The whole bunches were loaded into a tank containing a small amount of fermenting juice at the bottom, and then sealed to create an oxygen free environment. The juice released CO2, causing carbonic fermentation within the intact berries above. After approximately a week, the lid was removed and the bunches softly trodden under foot, releasing their juices so that the alcoholic fermentation could take place. The wine was then aged in French oak for one year.
On the nose there is an enticing mix of strawberry, raspberry, cherry and tamarillo, along with a whiff of pine smoke. The carbonic maceration has resulted in a wine with low acidity that is soft, succulent and seductive. The tannins are plush and velvety, with the bunch stems adding a peppery character, and hints of lavender and cinnamon.
Mk1
“ … succulent fruit … silky mouthfeel … a lingering, elegant finish. This is a harmonious Pinot Noir …”
- Candice Chow, raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, NZ
“ … interesting wine with plum, savoury, earth, mocha and spicy flavours supported by generous but rounded tannins … rich, textural wine …”
- Bob Campbell MW, bobcampbell.nz, NZ
“ ... elegant, pure and highly floral ... delicious and attractively textured ... good vibrancy ... sneaky long finish ... excellent quality for the price.”
- Allen Meadows, Burghound.com, US
“…generous, supple, plummy, spicy … deep and complex with refined tannins and a long finish”
- Michael Cooper, michaelcooper.co.nz, NZ
2017
“ … Powerful and sweetly fruited palate … Pinot on steroids with chewy tannins …”
- Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, NZ
“… fragrant, fresh and full-bodied … powerful, fruit-packed, very bold style of Pinot Noir …”
- Michael Cooper, michaelcooper.co.nz, NZ
“ … good energy here … impressive concentration … walk away very satisfied”
- Steve Leszczynski, Qwine, www.qwinereviews.com
… a rich, weighty pinot … plenty of spice and some herbal characters adding complexity … an attractive wine …”
- Bob Campbell MW, bobcampbell.nz, NZ
“ … richly fruited and intriguing on the nose … the palate is concentrated and fleshy, offering excellent depth and weight, beautifully enhanced by silky mouthfeel and supple tannins. Powerful and graceful.”
- Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, wineorbit.co.nz, NZ
“ … intense dark ruby appearance with a bouquet of ripe, spicy, savoury, plush lifted fruit profile … delicious and fresh … silk texture and lengthy finish”
- Cameron Douglas MS, camerondouglasms.com. NZ
