Archangel Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016

Archangel winery was founded by Mary and Ian Zurakowski and managed with the help of their son, Zenek who related the remarkable story which led to his parents’ marriage, and ultimately, to their move to New Zealand to become wine producers.

The story began in 1940 when two young girls, Stefania and Halina, were forced from their homes in war-torn Poland and shipped to a labour camp in Arkhangelsk, Siberia. After enduring 18 months of incredible hardship they travelled from Siberia to Africa where they were kept in a refugee settlement camp. Eventually, British National Defence officials arrived in Africa seeking recruits to help rebuild Britain after the war. Both girls enlisted into the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and were shipped to an RAF base in England. That’s where they first met each other and became life-long friends.

The RAF base in Nottinghamshire was home to several Polish Airforce Squadrons. Stefania and Halina met and married two Polish spitfire pilots. Both couples remained good friends. One couple had a son called Ian, the other a daughter called Mary. The children grew up, fell in love, married and moved to New Zealand where they started a winery christened after the location of a Siberian labour camp.

Archangel Vineyard sits on two ancient glacial terraces in the Upper Clutha Valley of Central Otago, one of the southern most winegrowing regions in the world. Geological events 30,000 years ago have defined the Archangel landscape, creating soils that are a pastiche of loess, gravel, schist and mineral quartz. The locality is known to be Queensberry of Central Otago region, an area that is very sparsely populated. For viticulture, only brave one plant here, due to the area being quite prone to both heat damage and frost attack.

The vineyard altogether is a 23 hectare estate, that is farmed using full organic practices and nurtures Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling vines. Pinot Noir occupies more than half of the area under vines.

The winemaker Peter Bartle describes the 2016 vintage in 2019 to be an elegant wine, in deep purple with purple hues. The wine lifted aromas of fragrant red cherry, raspberry, violets, leather and caramel with hints of savoury and sweet spice highlight the nose. The palate is inviting with a lush, juicy entry of sweet redcurrants, black cherry, blueberries and chocolate with leather and cloves. Overall the wine has a medium bodied with elegant fine grained tannins, complex and concentrated with a persistent red fruit finish.

Archangel Vineyard had been sold to Joval Family Wines back in 2019, the brand had since been discontinued. The vineyard site is now the cellardoor of Nanny Goat vineyard. This final batch won’t be re-stocked after its depletion.