Description: The wine has a vibrant carmine hue. Its aromas and flavours are a complex interplay of fruity and savoury elements, suggesting cherries, raspberries and blackberries, intermingled with roast game, grilled mushrooms, black olives, liquorice and coffee. There is a dense core of fruit in the mouth that is supported by a backbone of firm, ripe tannins which flow evenly through the palate and should help the wine age gracefully. While ready to drink on release it will develop additional fascinating nuances and become increasingly mellow with careful cellaring.
Robert Parker: Wine Advocate Issue # 176. Apr 2008. Reviewer : Neal Martin. Fermented with 10% whole bunches and matured in 30% new French oak, the intellectual 2006 Pinot Noir has a very natural nose, less fruit-driven than expected with more woodland, tertiary scents. Very well-balanced on the palate, slightly grainy tannins, dark fruit but not the usual black cherry. This has damson and mulberries to the fore, again that beguiling sense of earthiness. Introverted on the very natural elegant dry finish. Superb.
Jancis Robinson: Published : 30-Jul-2009. Racy and some richness – pretty chewy and moist with some savoury fruit. Real interest though a bit maverick. When to drink : 2011 to 2016.
Wine Spectator: Issue: May 15, 2008. Streamlined, with a vivid beam of crushed stone, wild berry, black plum, sandalwood and cola flavors. Taut tannins, fresh herb and cedar undertones extend through a spicy finish, tinged by a hint of graphite and orange peel. Drink now through 2011. 2,400 cases made. –DS.
Stephen Tanzer: Sep/Oct 08. By Stephen Tanzer. Bright red with ruby highlights. Initially reticent nose opens to reveal pure, vibrant scents of raspberry, rose petal, minerals, white pepper and sandalwood; ultimately quite reminiscent of a very good Chambolle. Wonderfully suave on entry, then silky and sappy in the middle but light on its feet, with a lovely subtle intensity to the laid-back flavors of raspberry, flowers and spices. A very sophisticated and complex New Zealand pinot with a captivating juicy quality and terrific cut. The tannins are fine-grained and firm, and the long, dry finish reveals excellent spine.
Campbell Mattinson, winefront.com.au, 93 pts - "A powerful wine that doesn’t seem in any way forced. It has an underlying - rather than an overt - complexity too. Undergrowth, sour cherries, smooke, cedarwood and long, ranging tannins. There are sappy, stalky characters too and excellent, tangy length. It’s a lovely style of wine … Drink : 2011 - 2016."
Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com, 92 pts - "Dense, fresh and spicy with nice expressive cherry fruit. Savoury and focused with a bit of earthiness and good acidity. Delicious."
Vinification: In making this wine we have employed traditional Burgundian techniques. After picking the fruit was put into open top vats, our aim being to retain the individual berries whole, we also include about 10% whole bunches. The vats were kept cool for 4 or 5 days and then allowed to gradually warm. At this stage primary fermentation commenced by the action of the grapes' own yeasts and we started by hand plunging the floating cap of grapes to keep it moist and healthy twice daily. This was carried out very gently to avoid excessive extraction of rough tannins and it was continued throughout the 6 days of the fermentation phase. After this there followed a period of post-fermentation maceration, during which we pushed down the floating cap of skins once per day with our hands. The total time in vat or cuvaison, varied from batch to batch but was in the order of 3-4 weeks. The time of pressing for each vat was decided by daily tasting to assess to tannins. The new wine was then put into barriques, 30% new, of French artisan coopers.
