Score: 91/100
To celebrate the installation of a monumental piece of art by New York-based designer, Dror Benshetrit, in its historic Brancott Vineyard, famous New Zealand producer Brancott Estate crafted this Limited Edition Pinot Noir called ‘Reflection’.
Dror’s volumetric sculpture fusing art and science and tittle ‘Under/standing’, now stands proudly in the vineyard where the winery first planted Marlborough’s first Sauvignon Blanc back in 1973, facing its modern Heritage Centre facility.
The packaging of this Limited Edition bottle reflects the cutting-edge and intricate geometry of Dror’s Art.
The wine was crafted from the most select parcels on Brancott Vineyard and underwent extended time in oak barrels – 20 months rather than the usual 11 months for Pinot Noir. Final blending was done through individual barrel selection, with the aim of “creating a bold, dark-fruited style with a savoury expression.”
Tasting Notes
This Pinot comes in a pretty dark and intense red color for the grape. A dark red to the core you can hardly see through, and a bright and intense red with hints of oranges hues to the rim.
The nose is extremely powerful and pungent, filled mainly with oaky and smoky notes, vanilla and caramel floating in a sea of wood smoke. Only after your smelling buds get saturated by those do you start smelling the red cherry fruit character that is underlying here. Black pepper and sandal wood, some coconut, clear nutmeg, and a touch of reduction. Definitely a lot going on in this complex aromatic profile, but also quite overwhelming with oak power.
The palate provides more elegance and balance, although it is also powerful and pungently flavored. But the punchy oaky notes of dark cocoa, coffee and vanilla, are here matched by generous blackberry and strawberry jam ones, a good acidity bringing out the tart cherry and raspberry notes.
Good tension from the mid-palate on provided by a solid acidity, well balanced by an opulent oily and warming texture.
The finish is long, allowing you to taste and sense all the aromas and flavors described above one after the other, decomposed for you if you pay enough attention for a minute of two.
Overall
Brancott has celebrated here the inauguration of their collaboration with artist Dror Benshetrit in a bang. This is a powerful and generous Pinot Noir, richly infused with generous oak and a wealth of yeasty —to the point that it’s almost meaty— flavors.
The whole feels gorgeous and opulent, punchy!
My advice: decant for at least half an hour prior to serving to allow the wine to open up gently.
Pair with refined grilled meats, slightly smoky and certainly tasty cheeses or charcuterie.
Enjoy 🙂
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