There is an old wine phrase dubbed "having a cellar palate". It relates to people involved with a winery that drink their own wines to the exclusion of nearly all others. As a consequence they can lose sight of how their wines rate against their competitors. Dunedinites sometimes have a Central Otago Pinot Noir "cellar palate" as, let’s face it, we are surrounded by the stuff. Thankfully, there is astounding quality coming out of Central; however, as someone in the industry it’s good to hit the reset button at times. Today’s Pinots span regions other than Central, offering some serious alternatives. 2020 Riverby Estate Reserve Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir Price RRP $37 Rating Very Good to Excellent Open nose with raspberry, savoury nuances, dusty oak, a brambly/herbal touch, perfume growing. The pale hue deceives, as there’s real tannic structure on its medium-bodied frame, again savoury, earthy, oak spices, tar, developing a touch of velvet on the close. Feels like there’s more in store, becoming racy and lifted, and the finish lengthening. www.riverbyestate.com 2019 Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Pinot Noir Price RRP $100 Rating Outstanding Immediately perfumed, shifting to meaty/umami characters, savoury, charcuterie, oak spice, berryfruits. Ripe, fruit sweet, yet dry adding tea leaf/ lead pencil and wild herb nuances. Lovely integration and balance offering drinkability yet clear potential . A crunchy, chewy feel adds to the close giving a lip- smacking quality. A cool vein to this. Lovely. www.pegasusbay.com 2020 Astrolabe Wrekin Pinot Noir Price RRP $65 Rating Excellent Sweetly fruited nose, toffee/caramel, earthy, dusty characters. Lead pencil and shavings lead, plumy fruit edging to raspberry over time, a wisp of piquancy adding interest. Quite mouthfilling, the tannins grow, while some chalkiness flows through to the finish, giving a lively crunchiness. The racy acidity swells with the fruit, giving this life and zest. www.astrolabewines.co.nz 2020 Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Pinot Noir Price RRP $55 Rating Very Good to Excellent Fascinating nose, tilled earth, barnyard, corruption, dry hay, mushroom/truffle, fruit in support. Dark and brooding, tautly structured palate, intent here for the future, developing a savoury backbone and a little, prickly feel. There’s intensity and textural richness with the strong barnyard characters taking this along a different path that challenges and intrigues. www.pegasusbay.com 2019 Craggy Range Single Vineyard Te Muna Martinborough Pinot Noir Price RRP $49.95 Rating Excellent Wisps of funk, wild herb, earthy nuances, savoury qualities, the fruit lurking. Sweet raspberry & red fruits lead shifting to the earthy, savoury characters displayed on the nose, developing an almost tingly quality. Finesse here, elegance, bright, zesty with delightful drive on the close. The flavours hang in the mouth, leaving you salivating. www.craggyrange.com 2020 Black Estate Home North Canterbury Pinot Noir Price RRP $45 Rating Excellent Richly fruited yet not over-sweet, blueberry, mixed berry, perhaps plum, with savoury nuances. Mouthfillingly rich, dark fruits to the fore, savoury notes building alongside a tangy hint adding freshness. With aeration there’s growing chewiness, deceptively powerful tannins framing this for future pleasure. A food accompaniment will be a friend now. www.blackestate.co.nz
