The 2023 Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is a finely tuned, site-driven expression of Central Otago Pinot Noir, balancing purity, energy, and understated power. Produced by Burn Cottage Vineyard, Moonlight Race is the estate’s second label, crafted with the same organic and biodynamic principles as the flagship Burn Cottage Pinot Noir, but in a more immediately approachable and transparent style.
Fruit for Moonlight Race is sourced primarily from the Burn Cottage Vineyard in Bannockburn, alongside select parcels from trusted Central Otago sites. The region’s continental climate—warm days, cool nights, and low rainfall—combined with the 2023 vintage conditions, delivered fruit with vivid aromatics, excellent natural acidity, and finely resolved tannins.
Winemaking follows a gentle, minimal-intervention philosophy. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented with a proportion of whole bunches to enhance aromatic lift, structure, and savoury detail. Extraction is carefully managed to preserve delicacy and precision, and maturation takes place in seasoned French oak barrels, ensuring oak supports rather than dominates the fruit expression.
The wine opens with bright aromas of red cherry, wild strawberry, raspberry, and rose petal, layered with subtle notes of dried herbs, spice, and mineral earth. The palate is medium-bodied and vibrant, showing pure red fruit, fresh acidity, and supple, fine-grained tannins. A savoury, gently textured finish reflects both Bannockburn’s stony soils and Burn Cottage’s commitment to balance and restraint.
Designed to offer early drinking pleasure while retaining structure, the 2023 Moonlight Race Pinot Noir is delicious now with light decanting and will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 5–10 years.
An elegant, contemporary Central Otago Pinot Noir that delivers clarity, drinkability, and a true sense of place.
