TN: 3 New Zealand Pinot's

WINE TALK
#1

Graystone Pinot Noir 2012
Deep murky ruby with a touch of purple. Fresh and fragrant with aromas of dark cherry, plum toast and ripe strawberries. This is quite mouth filing, ripe and richly textured. Medium to full bodied showing a little fruit sweetness with the flavours of mushrooms, smoke, cloves, chalk, blackberries, more savoury than fruity. The tannins support the weight of ripe fruit with the acidity adding vibrancy, Very youthful and undeveloped for now. Needs time to integrate 93

Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir Calvert Vineyard 2010
Medium ruby in colour with aromas of mainly ripe red berry, strawberries, plum, spice and a little toast. A little bit reserved on the palate with strawberries chocolate, smoke, red berries and minerals just lacking a little intensity. Elegant wine with a velvety textured feel, marred a little by the tannin that kicks in on the finish. 89

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2011
Intense ruby in colour, with a lovely intense floral nose. Aromas of violets, sweet spices, cherry, minerals and plums. This is rich and mouth filling with the palate showing some sweetness and fresh ripe fruit flavours with added complexities of citrus, black cherries, strawberries, blackberries, soft earth, cinnamon and cloves. The texture is silky smooth, velvety and layered, and the balance is great (fruit/tannin/acidity) followed by a long intense and lingering finish. 91

#2

Thanks for the notes Wayne, interesting. I don’t really follow Greystone but maybe I should. The Greystone won the PN trophy at the Air NZ awards this year. Disappointing that the PV from such an excellent vintage showed so poorly, but I have found their wines up and down. And I have not tried the 2011 AR PN since the EP tasting, so I can’t comment on how it’s travelling.

Cheers, Howard

#3

Thanks Wayne. I have a set of the three 2008 Calverts* that I’m going to try as a horizontal at an appropriate opportunity. Do you have a feel for the optimum time to do this?

*For the uninitiated; Pyramid Valley, Craggy Range and Felton Road all make a Pinot Noir from the same Bannockburn vineyard, managed biodynamically by Felton Road, as an exploration of the influence of terroir and winemaking style.

#4

Just had the Pyramid Valley Calvert 2008 a few days ago. I did not write a note At the time but I remember it distinctly. It was quite dark and brooding with aromas of earth, dark cherries and spicy plums. It is showing evolution with some appealing savoury character. It is restrained and evolving in an appealing way. On palate this has good concentration and weight, with dark fruit, rich and coating sappiness with good structure and length. The only down side was a slightly woody and stemmy finish in need of integration. I am not convinced that the savoury and dark fruit will integrate that element which reduces the length and and balance of the finish.

I’ve got that line up of the 3 producers but several vintages. I understand that this is no longer happening however.

#5

Andrew , was really looking foward to the PV but was disappointed, thought it would might have been the best. Im sure I had this a couple a years ago and was really impressed. Could not detect anything wrong with it, just seem to have lost some of its fruit and intensity.
Sorry I have no idea about the 2008’s…I’m new to pinot [wink.gif]