Sato 'Bannockburn' Pinot Noir 2021

Yoshi Sato is winemaker, once was bank manager in commercial and investment banking, but found his way to Central Otago because he ‘knew a few people there’ and ‘Otago is the most important new winemaking region’ – the people were nice, the place was nice, so Yoshi stayed. ‘Otago has so much potential for making cool climate white wine too; there’s more possibility for white wine here even. We can make obvious, fruity wines, but have to take care to make wines of precision, not so easy making elegant pinot noir – growing grapes here is easy, making elegant wines is not’.

‘We have to try and pick grapes much earlier, this year in 2013 I was one week earlier than any other grower, but alcohols were nice and flavour was good so I am happy’, Sato offers. Sato first started making wines while working at Mount Edward with Duncan Forsyth. He’s shifted his winemaking to Rockburn, in Cromwell, and closer to Sato’s vineyard sources which are found in Pisa Range (pinot noir), Northburn (riesling and pinot gris) and Carrick’s estate in Bannockburn (chardonnay, some of the oldest plantings in Otago).

‘First thing I have to think of is the vineyard’, says Sato. The viticulture practices and picking timing is paramount for Sato’s wines. Though not having total control over the sites, Sato only sources from ‘like-minded people’, preferring biodynamic and organic viticulture, with all vineyard sources falling under these umbrellas. MIKE BENNIE