Billet-Doux (Be-yay-do, meaning love-note in French) is wine in it's rawest form made in keeping with our house style, but without any refinery - no fining, filtration or additions. Making wine in this way relies on the having great fruit quality and is a testament to the hard work of the vineyard team. Front label artwork is by artist and designer Elana Marie - @elanaski
Season Summary A frost-affected season that ultimately produced balanced, refined wines with impressive ripeness and finesse. A cool autumn slowed ripening and extended harvest, requiring patience to achieve optimal fruit maturity. The resulting wines show excellent balance, restraint, and purity — a refined expression of the vintage.
Vineyard The Billet-Doux is a co-fermented blend of several vineyard parcels, different clones, all from Arthur's vineyard and picked on the same day. The soils at Arthur's are defined as Manuherikia Moderately Deep Fine Sandy Loam, a schist and greywacke fine loess.
Winemaking Hand-harvested, destemmed and wild fermented from a co-fermented blend of Pinot Noir clones - 5,6,13 and Abel. Pressed off after 29 days on skins, and matured in oak barrels for 10 months. Bottled on-site by hand, without any adjustments, fining or filtration. No sulphur is added.
Tasting Note “Full, moreish and powerful, the 2024 Billet-Doux is an impressive wine. Notes of forest floor, blackberry and black doris plum mingle, give the wine a dark and broody appeal. Soft tannins and a long finish round out the palate.” - Winemaker Rosie Menzies
Technical Total Acidity: 6.9g/L, Residual Sugar: <1g/L, Alcohol: 13.0% abv Clone: 5,6,13, Abel Vegan Friendly Bottled: 4-8th March 2025 Cases: 885 x 6 bottle cases produced.
Recommendations Cellaring Potential: 2025-2031 Pairing: Pinot Noir cured venison loin, with grissini and sun dried tomato
