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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.2 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 41 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by wineforth on 11/17/2023 & rated 91 points: Last bottle from a half case. Gentle sweet cherry and smoky nose. Huge sweet long finish has now come together more and lost the touch of bitterness. Four years ago I thought this was a Burgundy beater but my scores then declined steadily from an initial 93. Over the last couple of years it has started to improve again. Excellent now and will keep drinking well for some years. (247 views) | | | Tasted by HarveyManfrenjensenden on 8/30/2023 & rated 92 points: Delightful pinot in prime drinking window. Slightly Spicey elements. Very enjoyable (305 views) | | | Tasted by HowardNZ on 12/28/2021 & rated 92 points: 2019 Visit to North Canterbury, NZ: Under screwcap. Chosen from the restaurant list of older vintages. Like in Central Otago, 2012 is one of the top vintages in North Canterbury this decade. This was a lovely pinot, still relatively fruit-driven and primary, but with a touch of complexity-adding development. Good ruby with some ochre at the rim. More evolved-seeming on bouquet. Blackberries, dark cherries, dark spices and black plums with touches of smoke, tobacco leaf and violets. In the mouth, still fairly young-seeming, but with just enough development. Some of the dark fruit had a dried character and there was some leather, brushwood and earth. Elegant and detailed. "Nice line and length", said Gavin. A great match for my truffled duck. I'm sure this wine will continue to improve until about 2023 - 2024, at least. (1662 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 11/25/2021 & rated 90 points: 4th bottle from a half case. Gentle sweet cherry and smoky nose. Petillant at first. Huge sweet long finish now strangely developing some bitterness. Two years ago I thought this was a Burgundy beater but my scores have declined steadily from an initial 93, whereas a good village burgundy would improve at this age. I can only hope that this will turn a corner and start to improve again. (1401 views) | | | Tasted by bobadopolis on 3/29/2021 & rated 93 points: Drank this over 3 nights. Way exceeded expectations. Excellent each night. Drink now or hold. (1504 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 1/9/2021 & rated 91 points: 3rd bottle from a half case bought en primeur. Gentle sweet cherry and smoky nose. Starting to lose a touch mid palate. Huge sweet long finish. Two years ago I thought this was a Burgundy beater but my scores have declined by one point a year from an initial 93, whereas a good village burgundy would improve at this age. I have a similar price Volnay of the same vintage to drink later this year which will be an interesting comparison. (1531 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 4/30/2020 & rated 92 points: 2nd bottle from a half case. Red fruits and mace on the nose. Then a complex plum and oak. Fairly sweet medium bodied palate and a very long and penetrating finish. Makes Burgundy look overpriced. (1786 views) | | | Tasted by jmc167@me.com on 11/10/2019 & rated 92 points: To me, this wine represents the joy of collecting wine and being a cellar tracker user. I am not knowledgable about New Zealand to any degree but a recommendation from my trusted advisor at K&L 3.5 years ago caused me to purchase and tuck this in the cellar. I need a Pinot to pair with some pork chops, so after reading the note, I pulled and enjoyed this wonderful bottle of wine.
Upon opening, the nose was rich, dark fruits. I decanted and began drinking at 2.5 hours after after opening and discovered a beautiful pinot with a light but very rich mouthfeel and a finish that easily lasts 1 minutes or more and seems to be where the magic is for me.
On the nose and palate this wine is smoke, leather, and some latent red fruit. The finish is where the spice and bright cherry and raspberry and other red fruits emerge.
I have tasted a lot of pinots, but this is one I will remember. (1499 views) | | | Tasted by bobadopolis on 9/4/2019 & rated 93 points: Wow. I was really impressed with this wine on opening, and about 4 hours later it is really quite spectacular. Burnt hazelnuts, rhubarb pie, melted unsweetened chocolate, and later honeysuckle, grapefruit pith, and juice of perfectly ripened palisade peaches. Really complex for a pinot, and unlike any NZ pinot I've had before. Sealed via screw top, so not sure if there will be much in the way of continued maturity with further age, but this bottle is quite youthy today and suggests to me that this will coast along for quite a while. Excellent. (1551 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 6/21/2019 & rated 93 points: Lovely smoky, meaty, plum nose with plenty of complexity on the palate. Good length on the finish. My first Pegasus Bay and better than the last Grand Cru red burgundy I had yet at a fraction of the price. Superb QPR. (1700 views) | | | Tasted by slabslovin on 1/14/2019 & rated 89 points: Pretty good wine, not great. Nice depth but didn't love the flavors, hint of some harsh notes towards the end. (1670 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew67 on 12/8/2018 & rated 91 points: Decent enough, just not a compelling wine. Perhaps past its best. (1410 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 11/6/2017 & rated 91 points: Weekly tasting group RWP #266: Pinot Noir worldwide (@ RW): In the bouquet some stable smells, earth, red berries, minerals and toast. On the palate a beautiful and juicy wine with blueberries, chocolate, minerals, good acidity and tannin. Beautiful wine. (2168 views) | | | Tasted by rmalloy on 10/23/2017 & rated 93 points: A remarkable pinot. The aromas of rhubarb, cherry, cinnamon, and mushroom are profound and effusive. I love how the oak adds character without being obtrusive. The wine offers excellent acidic freshness without any sense of tartness or thinness. (2133 views) | | | Tasted by SeaCellar on 9/30/2017 & rated 91 points: Drinking very well. Strong notes of cherry with leather behind. A lighter but very enjoyable Pinot. Still has several years left in it - probably another 4 or 5. (1838 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew67 on 9/6/2017 & rated 92 points: This is now drinking very well. I am going to conclude that the first bottle I had was the outlier, or maybe I just drank it at a weird time in its evolution. This had lots of fruit power, with plum, black cherry, raspberry, white pepper, earth. Medium length with refined acidity. I think this getting close to its peak - maybe another 12 months to improve, not more. But I will be interested to see how it evolves after that - I suspect it will age with some grace, and if you like the more aged profile for wines this might be a nice one to keep. (1756 views) | | | Tasted by jkolb on 6/4/2017 & rated 94 points: This is drinking really well; a few more years probably won't hurt. Bold nose: earth funk, red fruit, charred meat, leather, plums. The palate is more balanced and interesting. Good acidity and pleasantly tannic finish. This is a very, very good wine for the price (35 USD). (1885 views) | | | Tasted by mattdathan on 3/25/2017 & rated 90 points: Smooth, elegant - a classic pinot noir. (1583 views) | | | Tasted by BrunelloBob on 2/15/2017 & rated 90 points: PnP. Red and black cherry, considerable acidity and good length. Sense is that this could benefit from a couple of years.90+ (1742 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew67 on 8/9/2016 & rated 92 points: A better bottle than the last one. This had power and complexity - if anything the wine was a little too intense for a pinot at least. But still very nice. Black and red fruits, earthiness add to a textural wine that hits the spot. To be honest I am not sure why I see such a difference in bottles given this is under screwcap. Perhaps this bottle was drunk on a flower day, and the last on an earth day? (2002 views) | | | Tasted by Vinnut on 7/31/2016 & rated 89 points: Medium-deep garnet in color. Forward, attractive & aromatic nose of ripe fruit aromas of red cherries, blueberries & strawberries with overtones of floral/herbal notes & earthy/dusty, pepper & spices, minerals & a touch of vanilla in the background. Medium bodied with a good concentration of balanced & smooth textured, ripe fruit flavors of sweet dark cherries, blueberries & strawberries with spices, earthiness, minerals & a slight hint of vanilla. Lingering finish. Drinks quite well at present and has some room for further development with an additional aging. (1854 views) | | | Tasted by H2OMansLibrary on 3/18/2016 & rated 85 points: This is just too big at the moment. Drinking like a Rhone wine more than Pinot. Dark purple color. Lots of fruit on the nose with some savory bits as well. Not really balanced with quite a bit of tannin. Glad I only have a couple bottles of this. I don't think I'll try another one for at least 5-7 years. (1938 views) | | | Tasted by Andrew67 on 3/1/2016 & rated 90 points: A perfectly reasonable pinot. Good structure and balance with red fruits and nice savoury notes. Medium length. Overall this lacks real power, but is drinking well at the moment. (1875 views) | | | Tasted by fanglangzhe on 2/20/2016 & rated 91 points: Great balance of red fruits, pepper & spices, earthy/savoury note. A light touch of oak, just the right amount. Power but with elegance, an iron fist in a velvet glove. (1945 views) | | | Tasted by Vinum Cultura on 12/19/2015 & rated 90 points: Medium to light red, clear. On the nose red berries, sunkissed strawberries and some very light and pleasant "green" wafts. On the palate fresh, with light tannins. Pleasant mouthfeel. Good value pinot noir. (1918 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, September/October 2014, IWC Issue #176
(Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir Waipara Valley Canterbury) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Pegasus Bay Producer website
The Donaldson family have been immersed in the wine industry since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making. Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist, Ivan Donaldson, first became interested in wine when his girlfriend at the time, Christine, gave him a book simply called - ‘Wine’.
Penned by English industry legend, Hugh Johnson, the book started Ivan on an exciting journey, that has never stopped. After travelling to explore the wine regions of Europe, Ivan returned home to plant one of the first vineyards of modern times in Canterbury… and to marry Christine, who has been an integral part of the Pegasus Bay story.
The first vineyard was a hobby with Ivan making wine in the garage at home on the weekends, in-between seeing patients at his private practice in the evening and after his shifts at the public hospital. He also started writing a wine column in the local paper (that he continued for over 20 years) and was a judge in numerous wine shows around the globe. In 2012 Ivan was awarded an Order of Merit for his contribution to Neurology.
By the mid 1980s Ivan and Chris had decided there was definitely a future for wine making in Canterbury. They went on to plant Pegasus Bay with the help of their four sons, who have all ended up working in key roles within the business. Ivan, now retired from medicine, continues to oversee viticulture while Chris’s ‘happy place’ is in the winery’s extensive grounds, now beautifully well-established thanks to her careful planting over the last 30 years.
Chris is also passionate about opera and the arts. She has embraced the local opera scene for many years, including singing in the chorus for a number of operatic productions. There has been many a concert held at the winery’s natural amphitheatre and a reserve range of wines have been dedicated to Chris’s love of opera.
Their eldest son, Matthew, is Winemaker and graduated with an oenology degree and a postgraduate diploma in viticulture from Roseworthy College, in Australia. He has worked numerous vintages in other parts of the world, with a particular focus on Burgundy, and in 2020 would have had his 28th vintage at Pegasus Bay.
Another son, Edward (a trained chef) is Marketing Manager and spends much of his time trotting the globe to promote the wines to around 20 countries where Pegasus Bay is distributed. His wife Belinda managers the hospitality side of the business focusing on premium events.
Michael was the last son to join the business after his return from overseas, finding a natural fit as Local Sales Manager, while the youngest son Paul, who has an MBA, is the winery’s General Manager.
Pegasus Bay is proud to be entirely family-owned..
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A Unique Vineyard
Planted in 1985 the Pegasus Bay vineyard is largely un-grafted producing ultra-low yields of grapes per vine with loose bunches and small berries. Tucked up under the lee of the Teviotdale Range, the vineyard gets maximum protection from the Pacific’s easterly breezes, while heat summation during the day is promoted by the smooth stones and gravels left behind by an ancient river bed washed down from the Southern Alps.
The soil is free draining and of low fertility, resulting in naturally reduced vine vigour. This produces optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes, which fully express the qualities of this unique setting.
An extensive team of experienced vineyard staff allow operations such as shoot thinning, crop thinning, bunch exposure and fruit selection to be carried out meticulously. Vine age also plays an important role.2012 Pegasus Bay Pinot NoirTHE SEASON
This was one of our cooler summers but it was followed by a lingering dry autumn. By leaving the grapes on the vines until later in the season we achieved a beautiful spectrum of ripe varietal flavours with good natural acidity. A modest, but reasonable crop level has contributed to good fruit concentration and body in the wine.
THE VINEYARD AND THE VINES
We have about a dozen different clones of pinot noir and often these grow intermingled throughout our various blocks. The vines, many of which are nearly 30 years old and on their own roots, grow on a series of north facing, gradually descending terraces. While the site is warm during the day it is cool at night. This allows the fruit to ripen fully but slowly and to retain good levels of natural acidity. The drainage is helped by stones intermingled with the soil.
HARVEST AND WINE MAKING
We use traditional Burgundian winemaking methods. We picked the various blocks at different stages during late April and early May, depending on their maturity. Most of the grapes were destemmed and put into small fermenting vats, retaining as many whole berries as possible. Ten percent of whole bunches were also added to these vats. They were kept cool over the next few days to help extract the soft, silky tannins from the pinot noir skins. After this time the grapes warmed enough to start fermenting. During fermentation the floating cap of grape skins was twice daily gently pushed back under the wine by hand to keep it moist and healthy. When the fermentation finished the vats were sealed and the grape remnants were left to steep in the wine for a week or two to help extract a different range of tannins that add structure and depth. The duration of this period was determined by daily tasting. Subsequently the wine was drained off and put into oak barriques (30% new) from selected artisan Burgundian coopers. In the summer after harvest, when the weather warmed, the wine underwent malo-lactic (secondary) fermentation. Both this and the original fermentation phase were completely natural and without added micro-organisms. After maturing for 18 months in these barriques the batches made from the many different plots of pinot were carefully blended in varying portions to produce this wine.
THE WINE
On release the wine has a bright ruby hue. The bright aromas and flavours suggest blackberries, raspberries and black cherries supported by an underlay of chocolate and cinnamon. Savoury elements, including impressions of roast meats and grilled mushroom, should become more prominent as the wine ages. It is generous and mouth filling but has a refined palate with plush velvety tannins and a lingering spicy aftertaste. It should develop a range of additional fascinating nuances with careful cellaring over the next decade and live well beyond.Pinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.New Zealand New Zealand Wine (New Zealand Winegrowers)South Island Noeth Island (wine-pages.com)Canterbury The Wines of Canterbury (Canterbury Winegrowers Association)Waipara Waipara Valley Winegrowers (Official site) |
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