Ata Rangi: lacks finesse. Good, but was a let down for this label. 3rd place. 91 pts.
Craggy Range Te Muna Road Single Vineyard: the most developed colour (brown edges) of the 5 tasted. Blackberry jam. Bitter. Short palate. 4th place. 88 pts.
Dry River: deep red colour. Plum jam. Dark fruits. Stood up high for the whole 5 hours, only briefly giving way to Kusuda while that peaked for an hour in the middle. Whole bunch press more noticeable than all others. 1st place. 96 pts.
Escarpment Te Rehua: dense. Funky and needed air to unravel itself. But then I couldn’t get over a dominant mouldy orange character and later accompanied by menthol. (The 2013 Pahi and Kiwa labels tasted a year ago were better). 5th place. 87 pts.
Kusuda: very slight brown edges. Pretty. Delicate. The most floral of the 5. You can sense the attention to detail. Noticeably peaked at the 2-3 hour mark, then started falling away. 2nd place. 95 pts.
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I feel the average point rating for this wine here on cellartracker is not accurately reflective of this wine from a current (and possibly predictable) vantage point, a little short sighted maybe? Regarding descriptors, I would direct to the tasting notes given by AU wine critic Huon Hooke, I found them to be very on point. The back of the bottle advises a confident 5 years of cellar time "at least" and I would say this gives the 'gist' of it. The wine seems at a sensory peak right now and acid has subsided comfortably. Cellartracker drinking window would seem accurate, I don't think you would reap anything further from waiting on this. If you find it drink it, if you have it drink it.
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Really nice. Red cherry, mushroom, forest floor. Lovely, savoury Pinot with soft tannin and a medium body. Great length. Seems to be getting better with age.
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(Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard) Dark cherry red color; fresh, tart cherry, rosehips, sous bois nose; tasty, savory, fresh, tart cherry, rosehips, sous bois, mineral palate with medium acidity; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish 91+ points
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3/30/2024 - Andrew67 Likes this wine:
Still going strong. Savoury dark cherry, balanced with a long finish. At least another 3 years, and probably more.
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5/7/2022 - Darke Peak wrote: 88 Points
2013 Martinborough Pinot Noir tasting (7 May 2022). 5 bottles/5 people/5 hours. Decanted.
Ata Rangi: lacks finesse. Good, but was a let down for this label. 3rd place. 91 pts.
Craggy Range Te Muna Road Single Vineyard: the most developed colour (brown edges) of the 5 tasted. Blackberry jam. Bitter. Short palate. 4th place. 88 pts.
Dry River: deep red colour. Plum jam. Dark fruits. Stood up high for the whole 5 hours, only briefly giving way to Kusuda while that peaked for an hour in the middle. Whole bunch press more noticeable than all others. 1st place. 96 pts.
Escarpment Te Rehua: dense. Funky and needed air to unravel itself. But then I couldn’t get over a dominant mouldy orange character and later accompanied by menthol. (The 2013 Pahi and Kiwa labels tasted a year ago were better). 5th place. 87 pts.
Kusuda: very slight brown edges. Pretty. Delicate. The most floral of the 5. You can sense the attention to detail. Noticeably peaked at the 2-3 hour mark, then started falling away. 2nd place. 95 pts.
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2/3/2022 - christian.tellvik@limab.se Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dense aroma of cherries, sulfur. Smoky tone. Taste of ripe cherries, silky tannins, violet, licorice. Full-bodied character. Quite long.
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12/3/2020 - noodlesontoast Likes this wine: 93 Points
I feel the average point rating for this wine here on cellartracker is not accurately reflective of this wine from a current (and possibly predictable) vantage point, a little short sighted maybe? Regarding descriptors, I would direct to the tasting notes given by AU wine critic Huon Hooke, I found them to be very on point. The back of the bottle advises a confident 5 years of cellar time "at least" and I would say this gives the 'gist' of it. The wine seems at a sensory peak right now and acid has subsided comfortably. Cellartracker drinking window would seem accurate, I don't think you would reap anything further from waiting on this. If you find it drink it, if you have it drink it.
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6/16/2020 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice. Red cherry, mushroom, forest floor. Lovely, savoury Pinot with soft tannin and a medium body. Great length. Seems to be getting better with age.
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