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Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023

Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023
Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023
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Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023

SKU: SAPN202312 UCAU
Vegan
5-10 Years
Regular price $69.99 / bottle
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per 
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1 bottle
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From brilliant winemaker, Yoshiaki Sato

Yoshi’s wife, Kyoko Sato, is viticulturalist for Sato and Felton Road.

Incredible detail to the Sato wines - unquestionably one of the best producers in Otago.

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Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023

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Tasting Notes

Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023 is a masterful expression of Otago’s renowned Bannockburn sub-region, crafted by the acclaimed winemaker Yoshiaki Sato. This exquisite Pinot Noir benefits from the combined expertise of Yoshiaki and his wife, Kyoko Sato, who applies her viticultural talents not only at Sato but also at Felton Road, another leading name in Otago winemaking.

Distinctive for its warm and dry climate alongside free-draining soils, Bannockburn provides an ideal environment for growing premium Pinot Noir grapes. The 2023 vintage reflects these exceptional terroir conditions, with Kyoko’s meticulous vineyard management ensuring grapes reach optimal ripeness and maintain vibrant balance throughout the growing season.

This wine reveals a radiant ruby hue and a complex aromatic profile featuring ripe red cherries, juicy raspberries, and subtle earthy undertones, heightened by delicate floral notes. On the palate, the Sato Bannockburn Pinot Noir impresses with its refined texture, layered complexity, and silky tannins that lead to an elegant, persistent finish. Every sip showcases the precision and finesse that have made the Sato label one of Otago’s most celebrated producers.

Recognized for incredible attention to detail, this Pinot Noir stands as a benchmark for quality and originality. The collaborative passion between Yoshiaki’s winemaking prowess and Kyoko’s horticultural insight is vividly captured, making the 2023 vintage a remarkable addition to any serious collection.

  • From brilliant winemaker, Yoshiaki Sato.
  • Kyoko Sato is the skilled viticulturalist for both Sato and Felton Road.
  • Incredible detail and craftsmanship—unquestionably one of the best producers in Otago.

Vinification & Cultivation

Crafted only for our premium wines

Vineyard Cultivation

Sato was founded by Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato, former Tokyo bankers who retrained in wine and settled in Central Otago, where they farm and source organically. This Bannockburn Pinot Noir draws on some of Otago's oldest vines in the warm, dry Bannockburn sub-region, set on free-draining glacial and schist-influenced soils under a strongly continental, high-diurnal climate. The vines are grown organically, with Kyoko Sato serving as viticulturist for both Sato and Felton Road. The 2023 vintage yielded a wildly aromatic wine, reflecting the couple's meticulous, low-intervention farming and their pursuit of transparency and detail from these mature Bannockburn sites.

Vinification

The fruit was hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts, typically with a significant whole-bunch component, in a natural, hands-off cellar approach. The wine was raised without fining or filtration and is vegan-friendly, bottled with minimal intervention to preserve its briary, savoury aromatics and the fine, taut tannin structure noted by critics. Elevage in French oak, with restrained use of new wood, frames rather than dominates the fruit. The house style favours drier, more structured and less overtly sweet Pinot Noir than the Central Otago norm, retaining freshness and a lively, mineral finish.

About this Wine

Central Otago

Central Otago is the southernmost wine growing region in the world, located at a latitude of 45 degrees south, on New Zealand’s south island. A spectacular landscape makes the region one of the most scenic wine regions if not in the world then certainly in New Zealand. Central to the region is the tourist destination of Queenstown, which is a great base to make wine trips from.

Heavy mineral deposits in silt loams are typical for the soils in Central Otago, but is unlike any other region in New Zealand. The Otago region is the countries only ‘continental ’ wine growing region.

Pinot Noir is the flagship red varietal, which is very well suited to the regions large diurnal shifts (a large diurnal shift means a big difference between low and high temperatures) and also the regions long, cool and dry autumn. The Pinot Noirs coming out of the Otago region are most often fragrant, lush Pinot Noirs with silky textures and true fruit intensity.

Aromatic whites also thrive, in particular Riesling where anything from bone-dry to very sweet can be made. Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and lesser amounts of Chardonnay is also made to a very high quality. Central Otago is in Jancis Robinson’s top five New World wine producing regions.

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