Pinot noir can vary hugely in price, from simple, fruity light reds for less than $20 that you toss back with friends, to expensive, complex single vineyard wines meticulously made from low-cropped grapes for concentrated flavour and subtle nuances, which you want to savour and think about, and which will develop further complexity with bottle age.
Takutai Nelson Pinot Noir 2011
$17
Three stars (out of five)
Average value
Attractive red fruits with a hint of mineral, spice and toasty oak, and a crisp finish.
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
Spicy red fruits hinting of cherry plums, dark toffee and a suggestion of new leather, supported by lots of spicy oak and finishing with an attractive aftertaste.
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
A perfumed wine that takes a few minutes to open, revealing juicy fruit with spicy, savoury undertones with hints of cheese and game, firm, dusty tannins and a well-balanced, longdry finish.
$39
Four stars
Average value
Made from fruit from younger vines, this wine is perfumed with lively red fruits - berriesand plums, with darker, savoury undertones, spicy oak and a crisp, textural. well-structured,finish.
$82
Four and a half stars
Below average value
A charming wine, more complex than the Jeunesse, this is from an east-facing block on Rippon's Wanaka vineyard. With spicy red fruits - plums, cherries, hints of mineral and toffee, darker, savoury undertones and a suggestion of dark chocolate, it's concentrated but beautifully balanced and harmonious with a firm but supple structure and long aftertaste.
$90
Four and a half stars
Below average value
From a vineyard on slopes above Bannockburn, this is a seductive, stylish wine, complex with mouth-filling ripe red and dark fruits supported, but not dominated by spicy oak, a silky texture, savoury undertones, and fine-grained tannins. Charming and harmonious now, but should develop over several years.
ANOTHER GLASS
Rippon Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010
$55
Four stars
Below average value
Made from fruit from mature vines on Rippon's Wanaka vineyard, this is perfumed with aromas hinting of cherries and a suggestion of beetroot. It's juicy, lively and mouth-filling supported by toasty oak, with spicy savoury notes with an attractive textural, dry finish.
Harmonious and will develop with bottle age.
Rippon Tinkers Field Pinot Noir 2010
$95
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Below average value
A big wine from a block on Rippon's Wanaka vineyard, this is concentrated with lots of juicy fruit with darker undertones - spice, dark chocolate, savoury. It's textural and powerful witha lively complexity and dry tannins, but nevertheless surprisingly harmonious and charming.
