Pinot noir is at its best when it's not too big or too oaky -
or too light and thin. As always,harmony is the key to a good
wine.
BEST VALUE
Ryan Nelsen Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011
$30
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Aromas of plums and strawberries with a hint of spice,
attractive red fruits, a finely structured backbone and a
lively, textural, long finish with a lingering aftertaste. A
new brandfrom the eponymous footballer and Jeff Poole who
sources the wines.
rnwines.com
Richmond Plains Nelson Pinot Noir 2011
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
A mouth-filling wine with hints of cherry and red fruits,
savoury undertones, a dollop of spicy oak, and finishing with
firm, dusty tannins.
www.organicwines.co.nz
Te Mania Nelson Pinot Noir 2010
$22
Three stars
Average value
Soft initially, with suggestions of plums and creamy flavours
supported by lots of spicy, toasty oak with overtones of
coffee and a light finish. For those who like oaky pinot.
www.temaniawines.co.nz
Gravel Ridge Martinborough Pinot Noir 2011
$20
Three stars
Average value
A simple wine with hints of licorice, savoury undertones and
even forest floor but there's lots of flavour extraction
which makes for a hard finish.
www.finewine delivery company
Craggy Range Te Muna Rd Martinborough Pinot Noir
2011
$43
Four stars
Average value
With aromas suggesting dark berry fruit and spicy plums and
underlying hints of mineral, this is mouth-filling, textural
and persistent from beginning to end of the palate, and
finishes with a powerful, long aftertaste. Big, but well
balanced and finely structured.
www.craggyrange.com
Bannock Brae Barrel Selection Central Otago Pinot Noir
2010
$55
Four and a half stars
A big, dark, tightly structured wine that took a while to
open in the glass, but eventually revealed a lovely
fragrance, oodles of dark berries, cherries, spice and firm
tannins, indicating it will benefit from bottle age, but
despite that it is delicious now. A recent double trophy
winner at the NZ international wine show.
bannockbrae.co.nz
ANOTHER GLASS
Te Mania Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2011
$35
Four stars
Good value
Perfumed with hints of raspberries, plums and other red
fruits, with spicy and darker savouryflavours mingling with
the sweet fruit on the aftertaste. It's harmonious and
elegant withunderlying power.
www.temaniawines.co.nz
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