Some winemakers produce two versions of pinot, an earlier drinking wine that is deliciouswhen released, like the Explorer or the Riverby, while their more expensive reserve wines will developwith another year or two's bottle age.
BEST VALUE
$29
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Fragrant with complex aromas, spicy dark fruit, underlying savoury oak, a silkytexture and fresh firm, finish. A charming, harmonious wine from Surveyor Thomspon that isdrinking nicely now.
BEST VALUE
$28
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Perfumed, spicy and silky textured, showing sweet red fruit with an earthy suggestion ofundergrowth, but mellowed and charming with a fresh, lingering finish.
$35
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Average value
With dark berry and lively red fruits and spicy oak supported by a firm structure, thisconcentrated wine with a lingering finish is a blend from Bannockburn in Central and theWaitaki Valley in North Otago. Another of John Forrest's innovative wines
$45
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
Rich and concentrated, this wine is just beginning to get into its stride with its dense, almostconfected fruit (plums and red cherries), hints of mineral and licorice, savoury, spicyundertones and lively, juicy finish. Another six months or a year should see it develop into acharming, harmonious wine.
$45
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
At present a tight young wine, firm, and spicy with hints of dark fruit and dark chocolate thatopens after 20 or 30 miutes to reveal perfumed ripe fruit, well supported by spicy oak, a velvetytexture and a juicy finish with lingering sweetness and fine grained tannins. It will benefit fromanother six months or a year's bottle age.
$80
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Average value
A concentrated, textural wine, complex and charming rich with dark, sweet cherry fruit,supported by lots of spicy oak hinting of dark chocolate, and firm, fine-grained tannins. A big,young wine that's already balanced and harmonious and promises much more with anotheryear or two's bottle age
ANOTHER GLASS
Riverby Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2010
$35
three and a half stars (out of five)
average value
Six of the best barrels of Riverby's pinot noir went into this. Spicy with lots of soft plummyfruit with an underlying minerality, bolstered by lots of oak and a crisp, slightly hard finish. Itneeds more time to come into harmony.
Flying Mouton Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir 2009
$35three stars (out of five)
below average value
This is from Japanese wine lover Taizo Osawa's Hawkes Bay vineyard which produced itsfirst harvest in 2008. It oozes sweet, almost confected fruit suggesting cherry plums with a slightherbal edge, and is blostered by lots of oak, finishing with a lingering, creamy aftertaste.
• Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tastingand evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations.
