Reviews

Raymond Chan: 4.5★ 17.5-/20

14.0% alc. From Taizo Osawa's 40 ha vineyard in Maraekakaho, planted in 2006, with Rod McDonald as consultant winemaker. Dark, even ruby-red colour, a little garnet showing. This has a full, open and well-integrated nose of dark red berry fruits along with some gamey secondary elements, with dark herbs, earth and liquorice. Medium-bodied, the flavours are elegant in presentation, red berries and plums unfolding notes of cedar and spices, a little oak showing. The wine is smooth in texture with modest extraction, and finishes with harmonious forest-floor and cedar notes. This is a very smooth and silky Pinot Noir showing some secondary development. Match with mushroomy dishes over the next 3-4+ years.
17.5-/20 Jun 2012

Michael Cooper, Winestate Magazine: 4★

Who said Hawke''s Bay is too warm for pinot noir? From a relatively cool, elevated, inland site, this wine is delicious now. Full and bright in colour, it is mouthfilling and savoury, with generous, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, a slightly earthy streak and good tannin backbone.

FM PN 09

Gold – New Zealand International Wine Show 2010
Silver – Air New Zealand 2010
Silver – A&P Mercedes Benz Wine Awards 2010

FS PN 10

Pure Silver – Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2011
Bronze – Romeo Bragato Wine Awards 2011
Bronze – NZ International Wine Show 2011

FS PN 11

3 Stars - Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Regional Characteristics

Warmer climate Pinot Noir typically produces a wine exhibiting more savoury earthy notes and mouthfilling structure. When it's grown in a cooler site in Hawkes Bay, we can capture a lot of the essential elements of good Pinot Noir, silkiness, perfume and complexity. In sites that are too warm, the wine can become hard, bitter, dull and without charm.

Pinot from cooler climate, when it doesn't work can show overtly green unripe notes or overly fruity wines. They can lack structure, velvety texture and talciness that comes from the ripe fine grained tannins.

Winemaker's Intention

We have the potential to make some of New Zealand’s most exciting Pinot Noir in Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir. At the Osawa vineyard there is a near perfect combination of old river terrace soils, inland climate and elevation to achieve real complexity and a genuine sense of place. With our nominally warmer climate our Pinot is always going to exhibit a more muscular and sinewy style than that seen in cooler climates. That being said, we’re looking for a genuine expression with vibrant crimson colour, intensity and a lovely depth of complexity. Cherry and spice aromas leading into a full rounded palate, the result of slowly, fully ripened fruit. It’s critical that there’s enough hang time to achieve tannin ripeness that can translate into a structure that is firm but melting and provide a suppleness and long finish.