Dry River Pinot Noir 2016

Reviews

Review for Dry River Pinot Noir 2016:

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit: 98/100. This is immediately appealing, and alluring and intriguing at the same time; the gorgeous bouquet shows dark cherry, plum, warm spice, cedar and floral characters, leading to a concentrated palate that is succulent and expansive. The wine offers splendid fruit purity and intensity, wonderfully complemented by mouth-coating silky texture and loads of polished tannins. So many elements, nothing out of place. A compelling pinot. At its best: 2020 to 2032. (7/2018)

Bob Campbell, MW: 96/100. Typically ripe, concentrated Dry River Pinot Noir, with an array of flavours from fresh herb and floral through to the riper end of the spectrum. Rich, warming and quite complex wine with weight and structure. As good as it is now the wine is likely to respond well to cellaring.

James Suckling (JamesSuckling.com): 96/100 & Top 100 New Zealand wine 2017. A majestic but youthful nose with an array of complex fruits from pomegranate to red cherry, raspberry and boysenberry as well as leaves and herbal notes, and a reticent earthy spices layer. The palate has a very succulent, fresh and elegant mid-palate with focused, tight-set tannins that have a remarkable precision. Sharply focused and extremely long. Power with finesse. Some smoky, whole-bunch notes to close. An excellent wine. Best from 2022.

Raymond Chan: 19+/20 (5 stars). This has a firm and intense nose with aromas of ripe black cherries with a complex amalgam of dark herbs, subtle whole cluster notes, black and violet florals and nuances of spices. Medium-full bodied, this has bright and vibrant black cherry and berry fruit with a complexing layer of spices, black olives and herb nuances. The fruit is rich and lush, and underlined by fine-grained powdery tannin extraction and fresh lacy acidity. As the wine flows, the florals blossom and savoury tapenade suggestions emerge. This is already showing complexity. This will develop well over the next 7-9 years.

Michael Cooper: 5 stars, Super Wine Classic. Tasted in June 2018, the 2016 vintage (5*) has a real sense of youthful drive. Highly fragrant, it is sweet-fruited, with very intense, vibrant plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and a long, tightly structured finish. Still extremely youthful, it is crying out for cellaring; open 2021+.

Tasting Note

Immediately red currant, strawberries and plum fruit deliver an aromatic hit. Though primary red fruit are visibly dominant, there is more to be found; Christmas spices, rosehip and floral notes like lilies and freshly cut hay are the more obvious characters that we see. The supporting role of the oak intensifies the underlying tobacco and caramel notes.

The palate shows a youthful intensity with a tendency to speak with great clarity. However, another more serene voice commands the fruit to spread out and surrender to the maze of tannins and juicy acidity that ascends from underneath. They bring a degree of order and longevity through their ripe phenolic compounds. The restrained power and silky, linear tannins are strikingly intricate and invite further examination.

Aromas and flavours:

Additional information

Type: red wine

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Alcohol: 12.5% vol

Residual sugar: <2 g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Food match: Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb roast.

Notice: contains sulfite

Vineyard: 'Dry River Estate', 'Lovat' and 'Craighall' sites, Martinborough, New Zealand.

Winemaking: Indigenous yeast fermented with 35% whole clusters, the wine aged 12 months in 15% new 300 L and 350 L hogsheads.

Cellaring potential: 2025-30

Closure: Cork

Serving: Serve Pinot Noir at 16 - 18°C, that is slightly cooler than a typical room temperature, to best enjoy the layers of aroma and flavour as the wine slowly warms in the glass. Decanting an hour or so before serving is worthwhile, especially for young and/or more structured wines.

Produced and bottled: Dry River Wines Limited, P.O Box 72, Martinborough, South Wairarapa, New Zealand

Distributor: vinabonus GmbH, Simmedenweg 40, 34134 Kassel, Germany

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