A more overtly challenging Pinot Noir than the 2012 Drake Samson from the Yarra Valley although it is primarily destemmed. It opens with a flood of almost liqueur-like sweet raspberries before it settles down into a general red-fruited mode with plenty of wild herbs.
It’s meaty and tannic within the context of the variety and as such it cries out for a plate of food. Spice and licorice play major roles and there’s definitely some sappy, forest floor notes contributing to the whole experience. Blood orange too. Has power but remains in a linear mode with a stern outline. Looks better on day two and probably needs more time in the bottle to show its best. Lots of personality though and that’s something I enjoy seeing. Much more interesting than most of the Central Otago expressions which hog the limelight. 91+
Region: Martinborough, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $35
Tasted: October 2013
Interested in your comments about Central Otago pinots. Although I’ve been a long term collector & drinker of Australian wine, my wife and I are on a bit of a learning curve with pinots and found the pinot palooza event yesterday in Sydney rather interesting. Didn’t taste everything but tasted quite a good sample from both sides of the ditch and have to say were a little underwhelmed with the Central Otago’s as a whole. Mind you, when certain wineries were giving you an amount which barely filled in the stem indent in the bottom of the glass it’s hard to get your mouth around it let alone be enthusiastic. My wife became SPO with two or three gentlemen & women! It’s a 2 1/4 hour train trip each way from where we live plus $60 a head plus food so it’s a bit of an investment and we don’t go to tastings unless we have an intention to buy, subject to quality of course. Anyway, back to pinots – a few wines stood out but they were mostly Australian and we found many others not particularly representative of the variety. Is it our inexperience with this grape or do you find this to be the case?
I reckon New Zealand (including Central Otago) Pinots are varietally correct – or at least the ones I taste are. Personally I have a lot more time for Martinborough than I do for Central Otago and my tastes are possibly swaying towards Marlborough as well. Central Otago is often too bold for me and while I can guess as to its popularity with consumers (I think it is very accessible) I’m not a believer in it being a region that makes great Pinot. Of course, many will disagree and more power to them. As far as our two countries are concerned I mainly gravitate towards the Yarra, Gippsland, Macedon and to a lesser extent Tasmania, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula – all Australian so I leave myself open to charges of parochialism. I find more intrigue in Pinots from those regions…and when it comes to Pinot Noir I do like a wine that makes me think a bit. When it comes to New Zealand (big generalisation, I know) I’m more fascinated by their aromatic whites and I also have a keen interest in their Syrahs.
Lots of generalisations in that response but hopefully they illuminate my personal aesthetics a little more clearly. At the end of the day, these are broad opinions – nothing more.