Both wines from Rockburn’s Devil’s Staircase range were recognised at the New Zealand International Wine Show last week, with the 2018 Central Otago Pinot Gris and 2018 Central Otago Pinot Noir receiving gold medals. Rockburn’s Six Barrels Pinot Noir also won a gold medal. Winemaker Malcolm Francis-Rees selected six barrels from the 2017 vintage, turning them into an ultra-premium, single vineyard wine from Rockburn’s Gibbston Valley Backroad vineyard.
“This fantastic result is a reflection of our relentless focus on producing premium wines at every level,” said Rebecca Poynter, general manager of Rockburn. “Devil’s Staircase wines have been incredibly popular over the years and created a loyal following amongst wine lovers in New Zealand. Not only are these wines of high quality, but they also both have sub $30 price points, representing great value Central Otago wine.”
Inspired by the winding road leading from Queenstown to Kingston along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, Devil’s Staircase wines “take the willing down into the realm of decadence and Bacchanalian delights where everything is pleasure, spiced-up with a bit of naughty.”
"Highly variable ripeness and yields were typical for the 2017 vintage in Central Otago, but careful vineyard management and hand-picking enabled us to showcase the very best from our sites,” said Francis-Rees. “The Six Barrels Pinot Noir displays the peacock flair that the best years generate from our Gibbston vineyard."
With over 2,000 entries at this year's event, the New Zealand International Wine Show 2018 is the largest wine competition in the country. The judging of the 2018 show took place from the 24th to the 26th September and was chaired by Bob Campbell MW, New Zealand's most experienced senior wine judge and this country's leading wine educator.d
