Quartz Reef has found its mojo in 2012, an elegant pinot noir of focus and longevity. It’s pretty, fragrant and beautifully textured, propelled by enduring tannin structure and a lovely undercurrent of finely mineral texture, highlights accurate red cherry and raspberry fruit and lifted rose petal perfume. $43 at Wine Box Warehouse.
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A recent vertical tasting revealed not only the propensity for Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir to age effortlessly, but also the calibre of the 2012 as one of the finest yet. It’s easy to underestimate Mount Difficulty on release, particularly within the context of more immediate Central Otago pinots. Mount Difficulty, by comparison, is a wine […]
readStructural confidence and fruit concentration meet poised control, grand endurance and profound persistence, confirming one of the great New Zealand pinots for the cellar. It’s beautifully cohesive, while structured for the long haul, thanks to serious tannins of confident grip, yet upholding finely textured mouth feel. The fragrance captures understated and alluring mineral notes and […]
readGrant Taylor’s Valli has a fifteen year future before it, thanks to its drive and grip of tightly-focused, mineral-infused tannins. Red cherry fruit and dried herb notes linger with good persistence, true to this outstanding season in Central Otago. $60 at United Cellars and Cellar d’Or (2011)
readRippon was one of Central Otago’s first vineyards and has risen to become one of the finest in the country. 2011 is a brilliant rendition of captivating exotic complexity and breathtakingly fine structure. Its fine-tuned palate is a vinous replica of the mineral schist of this inimitable site, finely textured and driving in its grand […]
readAptly named, this estate makes definitive Martinborough pinot noir, and the sensational 2011 is set to go down among the greats. It’s elegantly poised, with alluring violet perfume and delightful, precise black cherry, plum and liquorice strap flavours. Fine texture, firm structure, seamless line and great persistence suggest enduring potential. $62 at Discount Wines (2010), […]
readThis is a beautifully textured, structured and focused Ata Rangi of red berry and cherry fruits and dried herb notes. It’s a vintage of rustic style and considerable grip, more masculine in structure than usual, built for the long-haul. An Ata Rangi of great length, drive and focus, worthy of the lineage of Martinborough’s first […]
readThe oldest vines of Burn Cottage were just nine years of age in 2012, and the elegant grace that their fruits already exhibit suggests great things in years to come. Floral allure of fragrant rose petals and flavours of succulent raspberry and candied strawberry fruit make for immediate appeal, while beautifully textured, finely structured, elegantly […]
readAnother sensational Felton Road from the deep glacial soils of Calvert, effortlessly elegant, resolutely medium-bodied and light on its feet, capturing seamless harmony while sacrificing nothing in definition, structure and enduring energy. The bouquet is ethereal and alluring, alive with violet perfume, cherry kernel, mixed spice and black cherries. The palate delivers wonderful depth and […]
readNew Zealand’s first grand cru, 2011 Emma’s ranks among the most profound pinots I’ve tasted outside the hallowed halls of Burgundy itself. Such is its impeccable craftsmanship that no detail is lost in capturing the spirit of this remarkable single block on the lakefront within the Rippon vineyard. The bouquet is ethereal, wafting with violet […]
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