This Lake Wanaka red has a long, proud history. Estate-grown but not a single-block wine – winemaker Nick Mills views it as ‘the farm voice’ – it is typically a very elegant, ‘feminine’ style, rather than a blockbuster. Hand-picked from ungrafted vines planted between 1985 and 1991, the outstanding 2012 vintage (5*) was matured for 17 months in French oak barrels (30 per cent new), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full and youthful in colour, it has lovely fullness, complexity and harmony. A ‘serious’ but seductive wine, with strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, it is savoury, finely textured and already delicious. Best drinking 2016+.
Details
Type: Red Wines
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2012
Overall Rating for All Vintages Tasted: ★★★★★ – 5 Stars
Price: $55 NZD
Sweetness: DRY
Value for Money: AV
Buyer’s Guide Edition: 2015
When to drink: 2016