Pyramid Valley lost 80% of its crop in the difficult 2018 vintage. Considering this, the wines shine. But Field of Fire, which comes from a more vigorous, southeast facing site, doesn't fare quite as well as Lion's Tooth. It's highly sulphuric, offerings tones of struck match, onion and salted nuts. With time in glass, the citrus and melon fruit float to the fore, as does the toasty oak. It's also richer and rounder than its counterpart, but the layers of texture are lifted by lovely acidity, a mineral line and a pithy finish.
The Producer
Wines that breathe of their place.
Our story begins in a magical place where magnificent native birds once roamed and soared, where the earth produces in abundance and the stars align for greatness. This unique site of altitude, limestone, slope, rock and rich soil is our Waikari Estate and home to some of the most profound Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in the world. In 2018 our story breathed a new chapter when we purchased a new vineyard, the Manata Estate in Lowburn, Central Otago. The vineyard has produced exceptional Pinot Noir since 2002 and is home to our Central Otago Pinot Noir. Across both sites biodynamic viticulture and a natural approach to winemaking create handcrafted wine that breathes of its place and tastes like nowhere else on earth.
Our People
Mike and Claudia Elze Weersing spent 15 years searching the world to find the perfect place to grow grapes. In 2000, they purchased the plot of land near Waikari, that we now call home.
German-born and America-raised Claudia, was a committed biodynamicist and the guiding spirit on the land in the early years of Pyramid Valley. Mike studied oenology and viticulture in Burgundy and worked in vineyards and cellars across Europe, honing his precise vision and practice for spectacular winemaking.
Together, Mike and Claudia created remarkable wines for close to 20 years that have been recognised the world over.