June 18, 2021 - My last bottle and it seemed to have changed quite a bit since tasting last year. The colour seemed more brown and the nose/palate shifted more towards savoury. Very enjoyable but I think it is starting to decline or this bottle hadn’t been stored as well as the previous. Both were purchased at auction.
April 16, 2021 - A pleasant Pinot without stirring the emotions. Quite fruit driven with black fruits, earthiness notes and fine tannin to with it. Finish was ok but had some rather flavours that one would not expect from a Pinot. The acid was a bit forward for my liking so not sure whether 11 was the cause of this.
Drink now or 4+ years.
August 10, 2020 - Day 1: PnP, clear, light colour, slight brown edges - especially compared to other NZ 2011’s it was opened with. Very open and aromatic from the start. More sweet than savoury, some tart fruit and earthiness. Some acid. Very fine tannin. Good length. Very easy to drink.
Day 2 (small argon gassing overnight): moves towards savoury profile. Some dried herbs. Still very enjoyable and a few years left at its peak. Will safely last through to 2023.
October 14, 2017 - At its peak now
April 10, 2017 - (Random midweek) Light ruby garnet in glass, translucent. Perfumey nose of rose, black raspberries, and fresh damp ashy earth. Similarly lifted and perfumed, seductive sousbois, bright acidity, leafy and elegant. Easy drinking, balanced and effortless. With time, leather and moss. With an hour's decanting, it blooms and grows. Finishes with some savoury notes, light and clear with a long ashy bitter finish. Paired just right with a usda prime ribeye.
January 27, 2017 - Tawny, Dense fruity nose, combination of black cherry and some red fruits. Remains fruity on the palate, redcurrant and a touch of baking spices. This evening the acidity appeared a tad overbearing, perhaps a little under ripe but even so a great accompaniment with a lamb dish
May 18, 2016 - Mainly Pinots Dinner with Peter Rosback: A bouquet showing gobs of bright, black fruit. Sweet seeming. On palate, a young wine with that sweetish profile. Plenty of fruit on palate but a sense that this is not uniformly and fully physiologically ripe. From a vineyard in Canterbury, on limestone soil.
January 20, 2016 - Very good, less fruity, elegant
January 11, 2016 - [Elaine@RedCliff] Concentrated, aromatic dark berries, dark seductive florals. Considerable intensity and focus. Savoury sousbois, elegant tall spices. An easy balance and centre of gravity. Complex yet stunning clarity, pairing perfectly with the venison. Impressive!
December 25, 2015 - Tawny/Brick, Fresh aromas of raspberry, cherry and blackberries with a little herbal essence, rich and complex on the palate, showing good bottle age, fruity but excellent savoury aspects and cinnamon. Really enjoyable wine, drinking well, will look to drink my other bottle within the next 12 months but would be interesting in 2-3 years