Pinot noir is never a huge wine, instead it relies on fragrance, finesse and texture to get its message across and this group of wines thoroughly achieved that objective.
They were also a reminder of the marvellous string of vintages that we have had in recent years and the confident expressions of Central Otago that our vineyards and winemakers are producing.
Today was one of those days that I could say without hesitation, ''I love my job''!
This was a wonderful line-up of wines that made me wish I had more spare cash in the wine-buying kitty.
My tasting colleagues, Messrs Collins and McLaren, were also delighted with the line-up, which we tasted blind and in random order.
Price: $46-$50
Rating: Outstanding
Beautiful nose, sweet ripe Dawson cherry with gentle oak seasoning.
Hints of underlying red fruits.
Cherries and plums on the palate.
Fine tannins giving structure with integrated acidity.
Savoury notes, a dustiness, hints of leaf and a touch of cassis come with time.
Complexity, elegance, great length, excellent.
Price: $120
Rating: Excellent
Deeper, brooding nose with ripe berries/loganberry and a whisper of mushroom.
Full and rich in the mouth: ripe without being overtly sweet.
This builds in power.
Lovely mouthfeel and texture.
While this is powerful it is finely balanced and integrated.
Hints of oak and black tea come with aeration. Lovely.
Price: $70-$75
Rating: Outstanding
Initially a funky, earthy note gives way to intense fruit with raspberry and cassis.
Tobacco leaf and black tea step in next.
Ripe cherries on the palate.
Exquisite texture, silky and mouthfilling.
Perfectly balanced and vibrant.
Nose evolves to tobacco and cherries.
Layers of flavour. Seamless. An utter delight.
Price: RRP $85
Rating: Very good
Forest floor, field mushrooms, plums, and crystallised strawberries.
A salty minerality on the palate.
Initially starts off quite monolithic with blocky tannins and crisp acidity and seems a bit closed, but with aeration dried herbs appear; the fruit and mouthfeel build.
A touch of warmth on the finish.
Better with food.
Price: $50
Rating: Outstanding
Dark fruits with boysenberry and blackberry; wild thyme and briar.
Intense, sweet fruit entry with red fruits and dried berryfruits: a savoury and dried herb undercurrent forms a backdrop.
Nice, silky mouthfeel: complexity here as it grows with time giving licorice, umami and spice.
Fine tannins round up the finish. Delightful.
Price: $45
Rating: Excellent
Classic Central nose; distinctly dark cherry with wild herbs coming up.
Sweet fruit underpinning the wine, with raspberry merging with cherry as the wine moves into the savoury/wild herb spectrum.
The palate continues to build: the finish very long.
Tannins and acidity nicely integrated.
Lots of interest here.
Price: $50
Rating: Very good
Quite funky at first; some secondary characters with forest floor and earthy notes: the fruit an undercurrent.
Feels cooler climate with its brighter acidity and finer style: perhaps more burgundian and food oriented rather than a fleshy and flashy style.
Chewy grip, matchstick, tea leaves and rubber come with aeration.
Price: $28
Rating: Very good
Marmite and a smoky, charry note at first before the fruit reveals itself.
Beetroot, cooked red fruits and a brambly touch with a savoury/umami palate.
Firm at first on the finish.
This grows and grows in time with a raspberry coulis, ripe, sweet fruit note taking the fore.
It all comes together nicely.
