Mostly clear pinkish red with some pink/orange bricking, but the lower part of the bottle had considerable fine sediments requiring filtering. The nose on this was quite good and immediately put me to mind of Volnay. Pretty mix of red florals and red fruits, with an iron mineral strain, powdered rocks. Palate consistent with nose and releases some cocoa powder and rosehips. Shows its 13% abv a bit and has a nice round mouthfeel. Excellent bottle, drinking at a lovely early-to-mid- tertiary developed place. Glad I waited on this and sorry I don't have another. 93 at least
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking at peak. Has matured beautifully under a DIAM closure. None of the green/ herbal notes I often associate with NZ Pinots if this era. Probably due to the old vines. Lovely wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Robe coquelicot faible densité, clair. Nez expressif et complexe, cerise, fraise, cacao. En bouche, belle impression d'équilibre entre des notes de petits fruits, framboises (Yo) et des notes d'élevage, cacao, café brun. Les tanins sont fins. La persistance est longue, légèrement poivré. Moyenne du groupe: 4/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. Bottled under a Diam Cork. Showing so young still at 10 years old. Stunning example of Pinot Noir. Fruit, earth, acid, tannin. Perfect example of a PN developing with time and not fading one bit!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Burgundy in style, this NZ Pinot Noir exhibits almost everything I love about Pinot Noir. Light body but held together with medium tannins and medium plus acidity. Exotic flower aromas mixed with strawberry and raspberry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Such a shame this was the last bottle. Only at the beginning of its maturity window, with really quite a rich fruity core, but everything very well knit together now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Darker ruby color. Nose of dark plum, anise, potent floral notes. Intense flavors of black plum, cinnamon, brambles, and anise on the palate associated with firm tannins and marked acidity. Full-bodied and even a bit viscous on the palate. Longer finish of dark fruit and underbrush. Well-made wine demonstrating a definite sense of place. Young yet with some time to go before it integrates fully.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a very fine Pinot. The description New World fruit with Old World wine making is most apt, and great fruit and wine making it is. We tasted this right out of the bottle and it was wonderful from the first sip, but we did decant it and it continued to evolve as we finished it. We find a distinctive gravelly note from the local soils in the Central Otago region and it is present in this wine too. You can wait longer on this if you want to, but it is ready now. I cannot say it has a lot of years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
New Year's Eve, San Diego (San Diego): Slightly hazy light-medium ruby color. Against the other huge wines tonight, this looks like a rose. Bouquet of bright fresh red raspberries, cherries, strawberries, sassafras, potpourri, gravel. Similar on the palate. Luscious fruit of the New World with acidity and minerality of the Old World. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
no sed. P n p. Light ruby. Soft medium bodied pinot. Cherries, earth n spice. Old world meets new. No rough edges, good acidity. Stood up to tonight's lighter courses, mild appreciated tannins. Wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Considering the high reputation of this estate and the quality of the 2007 ,this was disappointing. Lacked the complexity and depth of fruit that should have been expected and should probably been kept longer as it might have still been going through a surly phase.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Brambly; I like the description in a previous note. Very big fruit, chewy tannins, brambly earthiness and great acidity for balance. I loved this wine to drink on it's own, or with food. Without hyperbole, I believe this was my best experience with new world pinot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big and chewy with good fruit. Quite tannic and a burly pinot. Tasty though and nice balance if the tannins mellow a little. Not a light pinot by any means ... could be on the fruity side
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of concentrated an rich red fruit. Pomegranate and well beyond RRV fruit. Not cola. Damn, rich but structured. Opens up to loads more mineral after a pretty dark fruit expression from the get-go. Hot DAMN!! Amazing and then it was gone. We only got to give this an hour of air, and it was really starting to lay out some complexity beyond fruit just as we drained the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An interesting lactic note in the nose was followed by a nose of brambly black cherry fruit. Very good acidity and a few gritty tannins suggest that this wine has years yet to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Primarily driven by generous and pleasant red fruit, with some wet earth and underbrush adding complexity. Acids are soft and approachable and tannins are refined, playing a minor supporting role. Moderate length. This is very drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spicy wood and tobacco on the nose, with strawberries. Taste strawberry, oak, cranberries and sweet ginger. Not my type of Pinot. Too much oak, simple and unbalanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
New Zealand Pinot Noirs (K&L Wines, Redwood City, California): Medium red color with pale meniscus; maturing, tart cranberry, mineral, savory nose; poised, tart cherry, mineral, floral palate with integrating oak; should age well for 8-10 years; medium-plus finish (reminiscent of a ripe Pommard; 13% alcohol; 30 yr old vines on own roots)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lacking some balance because of its youth, but the components are there. This wine will develop with a year or so in the cellar. The palate is nice but needs some time to integrate in a better way. A bit dull at present. (score is 87-88)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Champagne Varietals (Farpointe Cellar): Floral on the nose, with vanilla beans and cake spice underneath. The fruit comes in towards the end, mainly cherry and raspberry. Much more fruit on the palate, but it tempered by some stone flavors. The spice notes are little less sweet than he nose, and the finish is all dried flowers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was the only non-West Coast pinot of the 12 bottles tasted. Burgudy core. Lemon nose and very aromatic. Taste of plum with a high amount of acidity. Very interesting - bright and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Somewhat lighter, open, airy nose. Decent with a little flinty funk, interesting. On the palate, the fruit is somewhat ungenerous - darker fruited but a bit bitter. 82-83
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
7/10/2023 - Becomb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sem dúvidas, o melhor PN neozelandês que ja provei. Aos 15 anos de idade, talvez esteja no seu auge
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2023 - MindMuse Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mostly clear pinkish red with some pink/orange bricking, but the lower part of the bottle had considerable fine sediments requiring filtering.
The nose on this was quite good and immediately put me to mind of Volnay. Pretty mix of red florals and red fruits, with an iron mineral strain, powdered rocks. Palate consistent with nose and releases some cocoa powder and rosehips. Shows its 13% abv a bit and has a nice round mouthfeel. Excellent bottle, drinking at a lovely early-to-mid- tertiary developed place. Glad I waited on this and sorry I don't have another. 93 at least
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2021 - sjwshiraz wrote:
Drinking at peak. Has matured beautifully under a DIAM closure. None of the green/ herbal notes I often associate with NZ Pinots if this era. Probably due to the old vines. Lovely wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2020 - YoRi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Robe coquelicot faible densité, clair.
Nez expressif et complexe, cerise, fraise, cacao.
En bouche, belle impression d'équilibre entre des notes de petits fruits, framboises (Yo) et des notes d'élevage, cacao, café brun. Les tanins sont fins. La persistance est longue, légèrement poivré.
Moyenne du groupe: 4/5
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2018 - I1bearup Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow. Bottled under a Diam Cork. Showing so young still at 10 years old. Stunning example of Pinot Noir. Fruit, earth, acid, tannin. Perfect example of a PN developing with time and not fading one bit!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2016 - Whistler Whino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Burgundy in style, this NZ Pinot Noir exhibits almost everything I love about Pinot Noir. Light body but held together with medium tannins and medium plus acidity. Exotic flower aromas mixed with strawberry and raspberry notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2016 - gtilley wrote:
Such a shame this was the last bottle. Only at the beginning of its maturity window, with really quite a rich fruity core, but everything very well knit together now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2016 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 91 Points
excellent. complex and balanced. Great NZ pinot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (3)
4/24/2015 - AlbertaOenologist Likes this wine: 90 Points
raspberry notes dominated, very nicely balanced. Excellent for our first NZ pinot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2015 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Darker ruby color. Nose of dark plum, anise, potent floral notes. Intense flavors of black plum, cinnamon, brambles, and anise on the palate associated with firm tannins and marked acidity. Full-bodied and even a bit viscous on the palate. Longer finish of dark fruit and underbrush. Well-made wine demonstrating a definite sense of place. Young yet with some time to go before it integrates fully.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2015 - Deryl Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a very fine Pinot. The description New World fruit with Old World wine making is most apt, and great fruit and wine making it is. We tasted this right out of the bottle and it was wonderful from the first sip, but we did decant it and it continued to evolve as we finished it. We find a distinctive gravelly note from the local soils in the Central Otago region and it is present in this wine too.
You can wait longer on this if you want to, but it is ready now. I cannot say it has a lot of years left.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2014 - Javachip wrote: 93 Points
New Year's Eve, San Diego (San Diego): Slightly hazy light-medium ruby color. Against the other huge wines tonight, this looks like a rose. Bouquet of bright fresh red raspberries, cherries, strawberries, sassafras, potpourri, gravel. Similar on the palate. Luscious fruit of the New World with acidity and minerality of the Old World. Delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2014 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 92 Points
no sed. P n p. Light ruby. Soft medium bodied pinot. Cherries, earth n spice. Old world meets new. No rough edges, good acidity. Stood up to tonight's lighter courses, mild appreciated tannins. Wish I had more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2014 - burlingtonm Likes this wine: 88 Points
Considering the high reputation of this estate and the quality of the 2007 ,this was disappointing. Lacked the complexity and depth of fruit that should have been expected and should probably been kept longer as it might have still been going through a surly phase.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2014 - MidLifeVices wrote: 92 Points
Brambly; I like the description in a previous note. Very big fruit, chewy tannins, brambly earthiness and great acidity for balance. I loved this wine to drink on it's own, or with food. Without hyperbole, I believe this was my best experience with new world pinot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2014 - Wfjohn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Big and chewy with good fruit. Quite tannic and a burly pinot. Tasty though and nice balance if the tannins mellow a little. Not a light pinot by any means ... could be on the fruity side
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2014 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Lots of concentrated an rich red fruit. Pomegranate and well beyond RRV fruit. Not cola. Damn, rich but structured. Opens up to loads more mineral after a pretty dark fruit expression from the get-go. Hot DAMN!! Amazing and then it was gone. We only got to give this an hour of air, and it was really starting to lay out some complexity beyond fruit just as we drained the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2014 - MLipton wrote:
An interesting lactic note in the nose was followed by a nose of brambly black cherry fruit. Very good acidity and a few gritty tannins suggest that this wine has years yet to go.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2013 - JonathanP wrote: 91 Points
Primarily driven by generous and pleasant red fruit, with some wet earth and underbrush adding complexity. Acids are soft and approachable and tannins are refined, playing a minor supporting role. Moderate length. This is very drinkable now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2013 - Ramberg wrote: 86 Points
Spicy wood and tobacco on the nose, with strawberries.
Taste strawberry, oak, cranberries and sweet ginger.
Not my type of Pinot.
Too much oak, simple and unbalanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2012 - RationalDenial wrote: 92 Points
Brilliant. Stunning bottle of new world fruit and old world expression. Laying down the rest for a 3-5 years at least.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
New Zealand Pinot Noirs (K&L Wines, Redwood City, California): Medium red color with pale meniscus; maturing, tart cranberry, mineral, savory nose; poised, tart cherry, mineral, floral palate with integrating oak; should age well for 8-10 years; medium-plus finish (reminiscent of a ripe Pommard; 13% alcohol; 30 yr old vines on own roots)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 88 Points
Herbs, red fruit and barnyard notes, light in style, with a tart, peppery, red berry finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2011 - Christoffer78 wrote: 87 Points
Lacking some balance because of its youth, but the components are there. This wine will develop with a year or so in the cellar. The palate is nice but needs some time to integrate in a better way. A bit dull at present. (score is 87-88)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2011 - mmurry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Champagne Varietals (Farpointe Cellar): Floral on the nose, with vanilla beans and cake spice underneath. The fruit comes in towards the end, mainly cherry and raspberry. Much more fruit on the palate, but it tempered by some stone flavors. The spice notes are little less sweet than he nose, and the finish is all dried flowers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2011 - Grenik Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was the only non-West Coast pinot of the 12 bottles tasted. Burgudy core. Lemon nose and very aromatic. Taste of plum with a high amount of acidity. Very interesting - bright and fresh.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2010 - kingkanu wrote:
Central Otago Wine Trip December 2010; 12/20/2010-12/23/2010 (Central Otago, New Zealand): Darked and fuller than the Jeunesse with a deeper cherry fruit flavour and some earth, quite long
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2010 - amateurwino wrote:
Somewhat lighter, open, airy nose. Decent with a little flinty funk, interesting. On the palate, the fruit is somewhat ungenerous - darker fruited but a bit bitter. 82-83
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment