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All tasting notes
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 15 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by rgawlowski on 3/21/2024 & rated 92 points: Very nice fruit and acidity; very pleasant nose; all in all, very good but not great … seems consistent with Dry River wines; solid. (104 views) | | | Tasted by colinscellar on 2/10/2024 & rated 92 points: It is a big Pinot, the colour is deep and the fruit is intense, but it's not due to excessive ripeness as the wine only weighs in at 13.5% abv and the fruit is tart and fresh.
Sour plum, red cherry, cinnamon and earthy spice, a subtle fresh greenness that I'm guessing is whole bunch stalks. Lively acidity leads the way while the tannins are quite soft.
An absolute pleasure to drink though I capped the score at 92 as, as much I enjoyed it, intellectually it didn't seem that complex but somehow was just bloody delicious anyway. (157 views) | | | Tasted by Mulvk on 8/26/2022 & rated 94 points: Red fruit. Good acidity. Nice secondary characteristics . No rush for next bottles . (591 views) | | | Tasted by Yorgos on 12/29/2021 & rated 94 points: Expressive nose with Pinot character and lovely aromatics. Layered and structure with velvety structure but perhaps lacking the depth you would expect from a wine of such caliber. The fruit hasn't developed significantly so there plenty of life ahead. 94-95 (870 views) | | | Tasted by evanqian on 12/26/2021 & rated 95 points: Xmas Party 2021 (Forrest Hill, Auckland): dark red. breath in bottle for half hour. still tight tannins, very dense and concentrated, dark fruits, packs of dark herbals, intense savoury notes, mushroom, earth and meat. a bit mineral and salty adding another layer on the complexity. grand structure, long potential ahead (another 7 years probably).
This wine shows how much can be extracted from NZ terroir (or just Martinborough), it shows a muscular style of NZ PN, has good concentration, strength, weight, length, full pack of flavours, and most important, a very high level harmony, smoothly running all together.
RC 18.5
Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 18/20, Overall 5+4/10
Total 95/100 (962 views) | | | Tasted by colinscellar on 10/26/2021 & rated 93 points: Real Martinborough style - more concentrated and powerful than Central Otago. Dark cherry and tart cranberry notes with some spice and earthiness; a bit Burgundian but softer tannins and ripeness do mark it as new world.
Acidity still quite prominent so has a long life ahead of it, I would think still improving for several years and good drinking for years beyond that (971 views) | | | Tasted by SMZ on 7/14/2020 & rated 94 points: Deep purple, like the rock group from around 1970.....I agree, a little tight, but quite good. (1472 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 4/16/2018 & rated 95 points: J&A's, blind. My wine, opened 24 hours in advance but not decanted. Deep almost opaque purple-red color, highly concentrated notes of cassis and black cherry with bay leaf and complex spices. Outstanding though not really ready yet. No previous experience with this producer, but based on this bottle would peg drinking window for 2024-2030. Took 1st in its flight. (2350 views) | | | Tasted by kostaslonis on 3/22/2017 & rated 93 points: New Zealand Pinot Noir Tasting (Oinoscent): no 06291
Its still very tight and closed, some black fruit rather than red, some spices notes, a bit gamey, rather old world-like.
In the palate, the wines feels tight, red ruit core, pronounced acidity, great underlying complexity, light and (freshly made) jam, a thin oaky frame, med body and med to long finish. Still too young (2408 views) | | | Tasted by Yorgos on 3/20/2017 & rated 94 points: Complex nose with pinot character and scents of dark cherry, black berries, oak, spice, somewhat reductive and earthy. Lots of tension in the mid palate with deep flavors but edgy at the same tine, grippy and obviously in need of time. The best in my view of a flight of 6 NZ Pinot tasted at oinoscent and the least ready to be drunk today or in the short to mid term. You can tell though that this will be a great wine with some cellaring. (2283 views) | | | Tasted by chatters on 10/9/2016: Pinotpalooza (Carriageworks, Redfern): Funky and meaty, slightly reductive almost; closed down. With work some fruit starts to come through though it does feel a little disjointed. More of the same on the palate - all the ingredients are there but it feels disjointed like watching a puppy on a slippery floor. (3261 views) | | | Tasted by kostaslonis on 3/21/2016 & rated 93 points: Dry River Pinot Noir Vertical Tasting and a few others (Le Petit Sommelier): Shy in the nose, red fruit with some gamey notes, oaky frame, funky, needs time to clear up.
In the palate, the wine is rich, med body and med+ intensity, beautiful, red ripe small fruit, berries and cherries, nice acidity and mouthfeel, ends with a long finish.
Outstanding quality, shows great promise, hold rather than drink (2320 views) |
| Dry River Producer Website2014 Dry River Pinot NoirFor the winemaking team, the interesting aspect of our Pinot noir is the proportion of representation of each of our three blocks. This varies every year due to natural influences on fruit set. For 2014 it is our Craighall vineyard that has a higher proportion than usual. This translates to slightly darker characters and a firmer personality, mainly due to the tannins. Our Dry River block was instrumental in regulating softness and providing calmness.
Tasting Note
Deep red in colour with a ruby hue.
The nose has full dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and blackberry. At this stage the wine shows some aromatic floral notes and sinew, just enough to balance the opulence of the fruit. There are some subtle oak notes in the form of a gentle walnut like nuance.
The palate is well structured at this early stage with an abundance of front palate tannins, however most are cloaked by the richness of the fruit and the density of the flavours. Some sweetness peeks through, although only as a foil for the acidity, which combined, adds to the overall palate presence.
If drinking as a young wine, we would recommend decanting first and serving slightly warmer than usual. Expect this wine to cellar well.
pH 3.50
T.A. 6.50g/L
R.S. <2.0g/L
Alcohol 13.5% VOL
Harvest 22-24°brix
Oak 12 months, French puncheons, 20% newPinot 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)North IslandHaving a cool factor is a great start.
When they were creating climate classifications for wine regions around the world, we weren’t exactly complaining that New Zealand’s was called ‘cool.’ Step out in the middle of the day on a classic Marlborough or Hawke’s Bay’s summer, and you may wonder if they got it right. The brightness is beautifully intense, and sunshine plentiful.
But stay about a little. Until nightfall. The shift from day to night isn’t just defined by light, but temperature too. It chills quickly. The South Pacific Ocean taking its deep breath over our two islands. For the grapes, this makes for more than a chilly night. Ripening is gradual, almost methodical. As each day edges the grape towards ripeness, each night captures its flavour.
This pattern creates one of the longest grape growing seasons on earth – and those unmistakable, remarkable zesty flavours, and fragrance that are the hallmark of our wines.

Sometimes the world really is your oyster.
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