Pinot noir comfortably straddles a variety of styles: most commonly as the red wine so beloved in Central Otago, but also vinified as rose (sometimes solo, at other times in a blend with pinot gris and/or other varieties), as a still blanc de noir which is a white wine produced from red grapes and also in bubblies where again it can stand alone, but is commonly blended.
Each create quite different interpretations of the same grape.
Price RRP $31.75
Rating Very Good to Excellent
A twist of the pepper mill, plum, gravelly nuances, savoury notes. A splash of sweet confectionery shifts to darker raspberry and cherry notes with a chewy feel to the texture. A bolder expression, developing fruit pastille characters, with zesty acidity and piquancy to keep it all vibrant. Growing fruit sweetness which will appeal to those who don’t want their wine bone dry.
Price RRP $28
Rating Excellent
Vibrantly youthful nose, juicy fruit gum, musk, strawberry, perfume. Creamy texture, lovely balance and integration, with liveliness and vibrancy. The flavours follow the journey begun by the nose, adding wine gums to the mix and closing refreshingly dry. There’s a nice completeness to this, and it really ticks the box on the refreshment factor.
Price RRP $21
Rating Excellent to Outstanding
Fascinating nose with ripe stonefruits, a touch of pepper and chewing gum, a savoury quality too. Darker berries, stonefruits and gum on the palate, good weight, some appealing chewy grip and refreshing acidity on a dry, supple and rich frame. A saline/sea shell note grows adding to the lovely lip-smacking quality. Elegant and feels rather grown up.
Price RRP $24.50
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Bold nose, smoky char, raspberry, a dusty quality, ink pen. The palate melds a tarry quality with savoury notes, spices and darker berryfruits with a little dusty char evident on the finish. There’s some drying grip on the close that suggests this would also pair well with food. Open for business and in the slot to enjoy now.
Price Price RRP $28
Rating Excellent
The nose leaps out of the glass offering liqueur fruits, dark fruits, spices, bonfire embers and savoury characters. Powerfully expressed palate; those savoury and dark fruit notes to the fore, neatly cosseted by the underlying backbone. There’s depth of flavour here, offering good bang for your buck. Finishes attractively dry.
Price RRP $27.50
Rating Excellent
Richness to the nose, the fruit shifting to savouriness, hints of balsamic, dustiness and a little funk too. Mixing red and dark fruits, supported by wild herbs and a touch of black tea. Quite some structure behind this, the tannins supported by some chewy phenolics and bright acidity, which would work well with food.
