There’s no hiding the fact that this beautifully rich Pinot contains a good amount of fruit from Bill Pannell’s coveted “Burgundy” vineyard. This is a superb, mouth-filling red wine with profound varietal characters. The wine is truly made as much through traditional, studied, hands-on viticulture as it is by techniques in the winery. Bill’s vineyard is planted with traditional Burgundian row spacings and trellis heights. It’s a real back breaker and much more work per acre than the other Picardy vines, but Bill would have it no other way. The proof is in the bottle. This vintage has an incredibly complex aroma, as should all fine Pinot. Beneath intense berry fruit characters are bready, biscuity, briar, leather, honey, sweet oak and truffle nuances. Palate weight and concentration are exceptional, with sweet fruit balanced by a hint of cherry pip. Structure is maintained by balanced acidity and lots of ripe, silky tannins. The great complexity and concentration can be attributed to very low yields and a long, cool vintage.
Bill says that it is definitely the best Pinot released by Picardy so far and one of the best wines he has ever been involved in making.

The parameters for the production of the Picardy Tete de Cuvee reflect those used in the production of the great Grand Cru wines of Burgundy. This allows the production of a Pinot Noir with substantial structure and longevity, whilst retaining fruit sweetness and elegance.

This wine is not a reserve wine made in the traditional method of selecting the best barrels for separate bottling. Instead a portion of the vineyard receives extensive crop thinning and hand leaf plucking. The wine has intense fruit and assertive but fine grained tannins. Great complexity is achieved by the blending of five clones, of which three were imported from Burgundy. Every leaf is removed from the fruiting zone, to maximise fruit exposure. The vines are minimally cropped at thirty-five hectolitres per hectare (five tonnes per hectare).

The Pannell Family are confident that the Picardy Tete de Cuvee will continue to drink superbly for many years after it has been released.

The Pannell Family hope that you enjoy drinking this wine as much as they do. The Tete de Cuvee is produced in very small quantities; only 130 dozen of the 1999 vintage was made.

Drink Now to 2010

This release of the Tete de Cuvee has an incredibly complex aroma profile, so beguiling as to be difficult to describe. Bready, biscuity, musk, ethereally perfumed, briar, leatherwood honey and truffle are a few appropriate descriptors. Palate weight and concentration are exceptional, with sweet fruit balanced by a hint of cherry pith sourness. Structure is provided by balanced acidity and lots of ripe, very finely grained tannins.

This wines incredible complexity and concentration can be attributed to very low yields and a cool, dry vintage.