Score: 92/100
Overall
A rather ripe Pinot Noir for Marlborough, New Zealand rich and very spicy yet with a certain grassiness giving it a subtle rustic complexity. The aromatic intensity is outstanding with intense enjoyable stems aromas jumping out of the glass (I suspect it’s been fermented with them), red ripe fruit (red cherry, strawberry), and plenty of spices: clove, nutmeg, and white pepper.
The wine is rather full-bodied for a Pinot, with solid tannic structure, smooth overall but slightly drying on the finish. The wine is young obviously. Alcohol is perceptible, and accentuates the power of the flavors. The oak is there but well integrated already. Acidty is good enough to balance the vior of the wine well.
A powerful Pinot Noir, not for the faint-hearted. But it has all the typical attributes of a good New World Pinot, multiplied by 2 or 3: grassiness with a touch of rusticity, heaps of fresh fruit notes, and loads of spices. It’s also pretty long.
Food pairing
As I wrote before, the style is fairly classic for a Pinot, but very intensely flavored. So match with meats grilled or stewed so long as they’ve also got heaps of flavor.
When to Drink?
Enjoyable to drink now, but a couple of years will give it better harmony. I wouldn’t be surprised if it aged well for 10 to 15 years if you like a good bouquet in your Pinot.
Please let me know your thoughts