A savoury nose featuring autumn leaves and briar. The palette has plenty of tannins and acid, but in good balance with the ripe red fruit. The finish is a little short thought.
A perfumed and oaky Pinot dominated by red fruit. Still quite an acidity, like the previous vintage, but without the tannin grip. Fast and racy, this should settle down soon.
Dominated by dried herbs and spices with integrated cherries, this elegant and balanced Pinot has a great oak profile and lingering acidity that really works.
A very serious, dark and brooding pinot featuring dark cherry and plums. The rich integrated acidity works very well with the tannins and the fruit pokes its head right through in just the right proportions.
A bright and lively nose of red fruits followed by a palette with plenty of acidity and some interesting fruit. Not as much length and complexity as I would have liked.
More savoury and masculine than the 2008 I tasted before this, the wine shows plenty of plum and a bit of red cherry. A little too much acid for my liking and the palette is a little muddled with the herbs and fruit components not quite lining up.
An interesting nose of savoury autumn leaves with fruits and vanillin. The palette has a good acid structure and some nice integrated tannins with a herby and grassy finish.
The usual rich red fruit and spices we expect from this 'low end' version of the Mt Difficulty stable, but with a delightful savoury palette and great tannin weight. The big mouthfeel on this surprised me and puts this wine right ahead of its competition in this price bracket.
What a difference a year can make! This wine is not even close to the 2007 in terms of complexity and balance. It shows some quite opulent sour cherry fruit, and some savoury notes, but overall I would say that either this wine is either a bit restrained and needs some more time in the glass, or its just not that good. On the palette, as with so many of the 2008 Central Otago Pinots, the acid profile is just too big for me. Time will tell. If you are buying a 2008 Mt Difficulty I would go for the roaring meg, and just get two bottles. I would have loved to have tried the Long Gully this year, but Michael hasn't learned the pouring art like Matt has yet, and he had run out by the time I got to their table!
A beautiful perfumed Bergundian nose, but with the distinct rich, opulent and feminine Central Otago palette of cherry and dried herbs. Really really good.
A muscular, oak driven Pinot with chocolate, coffee and plum on the nose and a great acidity on the palette which was full of dark chocolate and dried herbs. A real standout.
Raspberry and other red fruits on the nose with big integrated tannins on the palette and a great oak balance. Nice acidity as well. This will look amazing in 5-7 years or maybe more. If you have this, cellar it!
The dark horse of the tasting, Remarkable Wines don't even have a distributor in Australia yet, but it won't take long with wines like this. This one showed a restrained fruit nose with plenty of savoury elements and really good oak treatment. The palette is a rich mouth-filling mix of chocolate, and plum.
Also known as the "Gibbston" - to differentiate it from the other Pinot, "Bannockburn", this savoury wine exudes dark cherry, plum and herbs. With a great acid backbone, the tiny tannins are in great balance with the fruit. Nice.
One of the stand out wines of the afternoon, the funky and rich nose has barnyard, dried herbs and spices. The palette is a luscious blend of cherry and chocolate with perfectly integrated oak and rich silky tannins. The acid backbone provides a great mouthfeel and the lingering finish is memorable.
A nose of dark cherry, chocolate and burgundian funky barnyard and a muscular tannin palette with fresh bright acidity, a big mouthfeel and a powerful long finish.
A rich and spicy Pinot, but still silky smooth and almost Burgundian with plums and dark cherry on the nose, but bright raspberries poking through the palette and the soft tannins. Really good.
2008 Archangel Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Lake Wanaka
An elegant and savoury Pinot with a slightly spicy vanillin nose. The palette is soft subdued and sweet with soft tannins
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2008 Coal Pit Pinot Noir 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A young and fresh nose of fruit and spice with a rich and crunchy acid palette with plenty of length.
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2007 Coal Pit Pinot Noir 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Nose of bright red cherry and musk with a funky forest-floor palette and a nice acidic structure.
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2006 Coal Pit Pinot Noir 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A funky forest-floor nose with overtones of musk and cherry. The palette is tannic with a powerful acidic backbone.
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2007 Desert Heart Pinot Noir 87 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A soft feminine pinot with a tiny bit of heat on the nose. Not overly complex but still very pleasant.
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2008 Desert Heart Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A savoury nose featuring autumn leaves and briar. The palette has plenty of tannins and acid, but in good balance with the ripe red fruit. The finish is a little short thought.
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2008 Rockburn Pinot Noir Devil's Staircase 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Savoury, autumn leaf nose with bright red cherry notes, and a fresh fruit palette with great tingling acidity.
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2006 Domain Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Bannockburn
Cherries plums and spices on the nose with an acidic palette that's a little to forward for me. The tannins are fine and the mouthfeel is big.
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2008 Domain Road Pinot Noir Bannockburn 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Bannockburn
A perfumed and oaky Pinot dominated by red fruit. Still quite an acidity, like the previous vintage, but without the tannin grip. Fast and racy, this should settle down soon.
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2008 Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir Earnscleugh Vineyard 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Dominated by dried herbs and spices with integrated cherries, this elegant and balanced Pinot has a great oak profile and lingering acidity that really works.
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2007 Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir Earnscleugh Vineyard 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
With a nose of autumn leaves and interesting grassy and capsicum notes, this savoury Pinot has a great spicy and sour cherry finish.
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2008 Hawkshead Pinot Noir Gibbston Valley 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Toasty oak and bright fresh fruit with soft tannins and acidic length.
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2008 Hawkshead Pinot Noir First Vines
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A very serious, dark and brooding pinot featuring dark cherry and plums. The rich integrated acidity works very well with the tannins and the fruit pokes its head right through in just the right proportions.
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2008 Judge Rock Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A bright and lively nose of red fruits followed by a palette with plenty of acidity and some interesting fruit. Not as much length and complexity as I would have liked.
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2007 Judge Rock Pinot Noir 88 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
More savoury and masculine than the 2008 I tasted before this, the wine shows plenty of plum and a bit of red cherry. A little too much acid for my liking and the palette is a little muddled with the herbs and fruit components not quite lining up.
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2008 Judge Rock Pinot Noir Vénus 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Slightly subdued, but delicately perfumed and lifted with a delicate palette which probably has a little too much acid at this stage. Give it time.
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2007 Judge Rock Pinot Noir Vénus 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
An interesting nose of savoury autumn leaves with fruits and vanillin. The palette has a good acid structure and some nice integrated tannins with a herby and grassy finish.
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2008 Locharburn Pinot Noir 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A good oak and fruit balance with rich integrated acid and balanced throughout.
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2008 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Roaring Meg 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
The usual rich red fruit and spices we expect from this 'low end' version of the Mt Difficulty stable, but with a delightful savoury palette and great tannin weight. The big mouthfeel on this surprised me and puts this wine right ahead of its competition in this price bracket.
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2008 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
What a difference a year can make! This wine is not even close to the 2007 in terms of complexity and balance. It shows some quite opulent sour cherry fruit, and some savoury notes, but overall I would say that either this wine is either a bit restrained and needs some more time in the glass, or its just not that good. On the palette, as with so many of the 2008 Central Otago Pinots, the acid profile is just too big for me. Time will tell. If you are buying a 2008 Mt Difficulty I would go for the roaring meg, and just get two bottles. I would have loved to have tried the Long Gully this year, but Michael hasn't learned the pouring art like Matt has yet, and he had run out by the time I got to their table!
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2008 Mount Dottrel Pinot Noir 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
An elegant Pinot dominated on the nose by fine red cherries. Quite a feminine wine with a perfectly balanced mid-palette.
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2006 Mount Dottrel Pinot Noir Mitre Rocks 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A beautiful perfumed Bergundian nose, but with the distinct rich, opulent and feminine Central Otago palette of cherry and dried herbs. Really really good.
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2008 Northburn Station Pinot Noir Bill's Blend 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
An interesting cherry and raspberry jam nose with a delicate fruit driven palette, but with good structure and backbone.
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2007 Northburn Station Pinot Noir 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A muscular, oak driven Pinot with chocolate, coffee and plum on the nose and a great acidity on the palette which was full of dark chocolate and dried herbs. A real standout.
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2007 Prophets Rock Pinot Noir 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
With a superb savoury nose of fruits and oak, this is a deep ark and serious Pinot. A rich, opulent, big mouthfeel with silky tannins.
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2008 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Raspberry and other red fruits on the nose with big integrated tannins on the palette and a great oak balance. Nice acidity as well. This will look amazing in 5-7 years or maybe more. If you have this, cellar it!
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2008 Remarkable Wines Pinot Noir Bannockburn 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Bannockburn
The dark horse of the tasting, Remarkable Wines don't even have a distributor in Australia yet, but it won't take long with wines like this. This one showed a restrained fruit nose with plenty of savoury elements and really good oak treatment. The palette is a rich mouth-filling mix of chocolate, and plum.
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2007 Remarkable Wines Pinot Noir 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Also known as the "Gibbston" - to differentiate it from the other Pinot, "Bannockburn", this savoury wine exudes dark cherry, plum and herbs. With a great acid backbone, the tiny tannins are in great balance with the fruit. Nice.
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2008 Rockburn Pinot Noir 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Funky nose with toasty oak and a silky tannin palette with an acid backbone and a long spicy finish.
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2008 Domaine-Thomson Pinot Noir Explorer 89 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
An interesting nose of stewed plums and burnt chocolate, with a bright fresh red fruit palette dominated by cherry.
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2007 Domaine-Thomson Pinot Noir Surveyor Thomson 96 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
One of the stand out wines of the afternoon, the funky and rich nose has barnyard, dried herbs and spices. The palette is a luscious blend of cherry and chocolate with perfectly integrated oak and rich silky tannins. The acid backbone provides a great mouthfeel and the lingering finish is memorable.
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2006 Domaine-Thomson Pinot Noir Surveyor Thomson 95 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A nose of dark cherry, chocolate and burgundian funky barnyard and a muscular tannin palette with fresh bright acidity, a big mouthfeel and a powerful long finish.
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2008 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir Picnic 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A savoury Burgundian nose of funky barnyard with a cherry, briar and dried herb palette with great powdery tannins.
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2007 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 94 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
The nose starts with savoury notes such as autumn leaves moving into more funky farm smells. A big serious palette with masses of cherry and plum.
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2008 Wild Earth Pinot Noir 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A delicate and floral nose, of perfumed red cherry with a fruit driven strawberries-and-cream palette and a great texture.
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2008 Wild Earth Pinot Noir Deep Cove 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
Bright red cherry nose with complex notes of pear integrated with the delicate oak. A savoury palette full of mouth-filling forest fruits.
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2008 Wooing Tree Pinot Noir Beetlejuice 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A predominantly fruit driven pinot, but with a layering of spices and dark chocolate on the palette. Good value.
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2008 Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 92 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago
A rich and spicy Pinot, but still silky smooth and almost Burgundian with plums and dark cherry on the nose, but bright raspberries poking through the palette and the soft tannins. Really good.
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