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$48.95
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IWC 91
WS 90
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $55.00
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91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$55 list] Good full dark red. Spicy aromas of black raspberry, mocha, cola, chocolate, meat, sandalwood and cardamom; initially reminded me of a very good Beaujolais cru but it's more complex than that. Began slightly disjointed, with a decadent ripeness clashing with elevated acidity and hardened by CO2 but came into better harmony with extended aeration. The musky, rich dark berry, black cherry and spice elements maintain a brisk, wild character but really energize the mouth. Finishes with serious dusty tannins and firm-edged acidity. Give this a good double-decanting to eliminate some of gas if you plan to open a bottle anytime soon, or simply lay it down for a few years. There's a distinct western Sonoma quality to this wine--no surprise as Ted Lemon makes this wine for American wine distributor Marquis Sauvage, who bought this property in 2002 and began planting his vineyard in 2003. (Sep 2012)"
90 points Wine Spectator: "[$55 list] Displays wonderful aromatics, with caraway, fennel and black tea on the nose, giving way to savory, subdued and detailed notes of plum, black cherry and cranberry on the finish. Balanced and sophisticated. Drink now through 2020. 562 cases made. (6/15/12)"
PinotFile: "13.7% alc. Imported by Classic Wines LLC, Denver, CO. Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Shy initially, picking up interest and intensity over time in the glass to reveal enticing aromas of dark red fruits, exotic spices and forest floor. Good attack of tasty black cherry, dark red raspberry and dark plum fruit supported by firm, ripe tannins and lifted with bright acidity. Very juicy and pleasing, becoming more intense over time in the glass. Flat-out great the next day from a previously opened and recorked bottle, showing a slip of its true potential including a marvelous peacock tail grand cru finish. (10/1/12)"
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$48.95
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WS 92
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $55.00
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92 points Wine Spectator: "Offers notes of peppery tobacco and cigar box up front, leading to hints of toasted herb, sandalwood and smoke that create a grand entrance for the fleshy black cherry, plum, mineral and pomegranate flavors. Full of personality, this displays fine balance, structure and acidity, culminating in the long finish. Drink now through 2023. 933 cases made. (6/15/13)"
Producer notes: "The 2011 Burn Cottage is a more elegant, refined bottling compared to the muscular 2010 and 2009. The aromatics display cherry and confectionary tones and remain quite primary still. Evergreen, coughdrop, bacon fat and small red fruits all emerge with air and the wine requires some time to open in the glass. This is the most feminine of the three vintages to date and possesses the most finely delineated palate. While not technically higher, the acidity comes across as the freshest of the three vintages and this combined with the most delicate tannins creates a lovely contrast with the more muscular 2009 and 2010 vintages. It has a seamless finish but for now the wine is tightly wound and will require some more months in bottle to begin to open. Cellar for 3-5 years. Alcohol 13.8%. 1,866 x 6-bottle cases produced."
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$29.95
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New Zealand
In stock,
3
available
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*SPECIAL: Take 10% Off Listed Price!
(We'll reduce item's price when processing your order.)
Aromas of violets and bright red fruits, closely followed by plum and mocha notes. While the palate has elegance and suppleness, there is also the concentration and structure for those who wish to cellar 2 - 3 years.
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$29.95
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WS 91
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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91 points Wine Spectator: "Distinctive and elegantly framed, offering white pepper, talc and dried lavender notes, with plenty of aromatic details to the wild berry and plum accents. The flavors fan out on the long, smooth finish. Drink now through 2022. (6/15/13)"
Cashburn is the second label of Burn Cottage Pinot Noir from Central Otago, New Zealand. The wine is made from declassified fruit from the Burn Cottage Vineyard by Ted Lemon of Littorai. The property is farmed using biodyanmic farming techniques and is owned and operated by the Sauvage family who also has property in the Pfalz in Germany and owns distributors in the US.
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$39.95
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WS 91
IWC 90
W&S 90
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $50.00
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5 stars, 19/20 points, Decanter: "Bright and edgy with flavours of dark cherry, mineral, violets and star anise. Vibrant and rippling with energy. Great food wine with good cellaring potential. Drink: 2012-2021. Alcohol: 14%. (Jul 2012)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "[$50 list] Elegant and highly detailed, with plush, ripe red raspberry and cherry flavors that are fresh and juicy, joined by black tea, clove, sassafras and sage notes. Smooth and tasty, gaining momentum on the finish. Drink now through 2019. (5/31/12)"
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good full, bright red. Smoky, slightly reduced aromas of red cherry, strawberry, raspberry and underbrush. Rich, pliant and broad but with good energy to the soil-driven flavors of sweet red fruits, rose petal and smoky underbrush. Finishes tactile, saline and long, with smooth tannins and subtle floral lift. (Sep 2012)"
90 points Wine & Spirits: "The rich cherry intensity of this wine carries spice along in its wake, bringing cedar and ancho-chile scents through its chocolate layers of tannins. It's tightly built, the flavors lasting on fruit, suited to several years of bottle age. (Feb 2013)"
'Good,' PinotFile: "14.0% alc., screwcap. Imported by Kobrand Corp, NY, NY. Indigenous yeast fermentations, aged more than a year in French oak barrels without racking. Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. Slight reduction and oaky upon opening, becoming very savory over time with aromas of bramble, herbs and wild, dark red berries. Fruits in the redder spectrum are featured with a green, herbal tone. Moderately light in weight with supple tannins and an acid-driven, juicy finish. (10/1/12)"
Producer notes: "Bright aromas of cherry, raspberry, dried sage and a hint of smoke make for an enticing nose. On the palate the taut, focussed fruit tannin sits seamlessly in this medium weight wine with a silky savoury finish. Food match: Veal. Cellaring: 5 years from vintage."
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$102.95
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WS 92
New Zealand
In stock,
6
available
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92 points Wine Spectator: "[$55 list] Light on its feet, this is harmonious and beautifully focused to show its bright açaí berry and blackberry flavors in a spotlight. The finish sails on, letting the fruit linger. Drink now through 2015. (12/15/09)"
5 stars, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines: "The Bannockburn winery's 'standard' Pinot Noir is a distinguished wine in its own right, and the 2008 vintage is another top example. Matured for 11 months in French oak casks (30 per cent new), it is very finely balanced, with deep colour and notable richness and harmony. A graceful red, already delicious, it is generous, warm and supple, with deep, ripe cherry, plum and nut flavours, savoury and complex, and good tannin su8pport. Best drinking 2011+. Drink: 2009-20. (2010)"
Producer notes: "Deep garnet with purple hints. A rather brooding nose of ripe raspberry countered with earth, toast and dark perfume... maybe deep red rose petals. The palate displays a plush, cushioned silkiness, with interplay of juicy, mouthwatering acid and ripe, rich raspberry and boysenberry fruit, offset with dusty bramble leaf. The finish is long and relatively complex for such a youthful wine, displaying minerals with dusty tannin and a kick of mocha."
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$39.95
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JS 92
WA 91
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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*SPECIAL: Take 10% Off Listed Price!
(We'll reduce item's price when processing your order.)
92 points James Suckling: "Round and easy with a licorice and strawberry character. Full body, with round tannins and fresh finish. Light stemmy character. Very pretty. Drink now. (12/28/12)"
91 points Wine Advocate: "Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2010 Pinot Noir displays slightly wild / gamey notes of red cherry, underbrush, earth and yeast extract over a faint perfume of lavender. The full bodied palate has very good concentration and a taut structure of firm grainy tannins and crisp acid with a long, layered finish. Drink it now through 2017+. (Oct 2011)" - Lisa Perrotti-Brown
PinotFile: "14.0% alc., screwcap. Imported by Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA. 100% organic and biodynamic viticulture. 20% whole cluster. Wild yeast fermentations, aged 11 months in French oak barrels, unfined and unfiltered. Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Aromas of black cherry liquor, black raspberries, blackberries and oak toast. Moderately rich with impressive mid palate presence, a seductively plush mouth feel, and a lengthy finish featuring black raspberry fruit. Oak plays a supporting role and the tannins are well-managed. The most impressive features are the soft, polished texture and the impressive concentration of the fruit. (10/1/12)"
Producer notes: "A nose of dusty florals emphasised by pink roses and violets integrates seamlessly with Asian spices of cinnamon and clove. The palate opens softly, staying with the florals and adding fresh berries and a pleasing seam of minerality. Mouthcoating, but never cloying, it is subtle and caressing; a wine of harmony, restraint and sophistication that intrigues rather than shouts it’s breeding. It finishes with enough tannin to frame the wine neatly."
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$146.95
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IWC 92
New Zealand
In stock,
5
available
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92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good deep, bright red. Complex, Burgundian aromas of dark raspberry, smoked meat, rose petal and dark chocolate. Rich, ripe and deep but quite dry, with a texture that's at once fine-grained and chewy. Edgy acidity gives this wine a vibrant character. Impressively tactile and concentrated Central Otago pinot, with a long finish featuring serious tannins. Again, this is savory more than sweet, and appears to be built to reward cellaring. (Sep/Oct 2009)"
5 stars, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines: "Grown at Bannockburn, on a north-facing slope 270 metres above sea level, this is a majestic Central Otago wine, among the finest Pinot Noirs in the country. The mature vines are cultivated in a section of the vineyard where the clay content is relatively high, giving 'dried herbs and ripe fruit characters'. The wine is matured for 11 to 14 months in Burgundy oak barrels (50 to 60 per cent new), and bottled without fining or filtration. The 2008 vintage is very fragrant, complex and savoury, with full, bright colour, sweet-fruit delights, deep, cherryish, spicy flavours and good tannin backbone. Best drinking 2011+. Drink: 2009-20. (2010)"
Producer notes: "As is often the case, the initial entry of the wine is the lightest of all the 2008 Pinot Noirs: expressing crushed herbs and minerality. Then the wine starts to build through the palate as earthy raspberry and cherry kick in, stepping up a gear as chocolate, mocha and minerality combine with rich, fine tannin to overwhelm the fruit in a long and very powerful finish. Textbook Block 3."
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$89.95
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WS 90
WA 90
IWC 90
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $108.00
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90 points Wine Spectator: "[$54/750ml list] Supple and lithe, with a silky texture to the black plum, spice and wild berry flavors. Pretty jasmine nuances and pointed minerality harmonize with toasty oak and silky tannins. Fruit concentration extends through the finish. Drink now through 2011. 651 cases made. (4/30/08)"
90 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "Felton produced 650 cases of the 2006 Calvert Pinot Noir, the nose reluctant at first but unfurls to reveal wild strawberry, red cherry and rose petals laced with a hint of mocha. The palate is firm and quite sinewy (a la Craggy) with fresh, red-berried fruit and a touch of thyme on the finish. (Apr 2008)"
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$54/750ml list] Good medium red, a bit lighter than the regular bottling. Reticent nose hints at spices and celery seed. Densely packed, spicy and classically dry; shows more breadth than the basic bottling but less complexity and fruit intensity today. But this is highly aromatic, supple and suave in the middle palate, with a subtle sweetness emerging with aeration. Dusty tannins and firm acidity give it sound structural support." Organic/biodynamic (not certified).
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$56.95
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W&S 92
WS 91
IWC 91
New Zealand
In stock,
3
available
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92 points Wine & Spirits: "Planted in 1999 on north-facing slopes, these vines grow in loess over a mix of clay, quartz sands and quartz and schist gravels. The schisty minerality seems to come through in the tannins of the wine, in the firmness and crunchiness they add to the red berry flavors. It's spicy and full-bodied, with a gentle hug of alcohol that places it with substantial meals, like roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. (Feb 2010)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "Lithe, harmonious and deftly balanced, this has delicacy yet is packed with blackberry, raspberry, cocoa and spice flavors that don't quit on the elegant finish. Drink now through 2015. 321 cases made. (12/15/09)"
91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good bright medium red. Very ripe, pungent aromas of strawberry, raspberry, incense and chocolate; more complex than the basic Central Otago offering. Fat, sappy and sweet, with a silky texture to the red fruit flavors. Lush and broad on the back end but at the same time energetic and brisk, with peppery lift contributing to an impression of seriousness. (Sep/Oct 2009)"
91 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "35% new oak. Deep ruby-purple colour. Earthy, forest floor, loam and bright raspberry fruit on the nose. A faint whiff of violets. Crisp acid, very structured with a medium+ level of very fine tannins and tightly knit fruit. Long finish, a little minerally. (Nov 2009)"
90 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "There is no reduction present here and the nose is more deeply pitched with a ripe combination of both red and blue pinot fruit trimmed in a discreet hint of earth that is also picked up by the fresh, delicious, round and supple middle weight flavors that possess a bit more depth on the attractively dry and firm finish. I like the detailed mouth feel and the structure suggests that this should reward 5 to 7 years in the cellar. Drink: 2014+. (Oct 2009)"
'Best New World Red,' Decanter: "Nigel Greening's Pinot Noirs put Central Otago on the map and they remain in a class of their own: polished, vibrant, deep vineyard fruit, with Burgundian texture and great promise. Expensive but worth the price. (Sep 2009)"
PinotFile: "14.0% alc., screw cap. Darker in color than the regular blended bottling. Subdued aromas of black cherries, plum sauce and woodshed. Delicious core of black cherries and dark berries front and center with complimentary savory herbs and spice. Well-structured with a balancing edge of acidity and moderate tannins. Velvety and very sensual in the mouth. Still very young and will need some cellaring to shed and integrate the tannins. (4/23/10)"
4 stars, Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "The deeply coloured 2008 vintage was grown in the Calvert Vineyard at Bannockburn -- which neighbours and is managed by Felton Road -- and matured for 14 months in French oak barriques (30 per cent new). A graceful Central Otago red, it's finely scented, with strong, very youthful plum, cherry and spice flavours, woven with fresh acidity. Elegant and sweet-fruited, it needs time; open 2012+. Drink: 2009-20."
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$57.95
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WA 91
IWC 90
WS 90
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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5 stars, 19.5/20 points Decanter: "Felton Road leases the Calvert Vineyard in Bannockburn and supplies Craggy Range and Pyramid Valley with a third of the crop each year. This was my top wine this vintage -- a Musigny-like texture edging it ahead. Drink: 2011-2020. Alc: 14.5%. (Jul 2011)"
91 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "The 2009 Calvert Pinot Noir gives a deep ruby-purple color and precociously expressive black raspberry and spice box aromas -- cassia, cloves, mace and allspice -- with nuances of milk chocolate and anise. Full bodied with medium-high acid and a medium-firm level of velvety tannins, it finishes long. This is gorgeous to drink now yet has the capacity to develop and cellar to 2016. (Oct 2010)"
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good deep, bright red. Pungent aromas of raspberry, strawberry, sandalwood and peppery spices. Then dry and light on its feet, with youthfully restrained red fruit and spice flavors. There are some very ripe notes here as well as a peppery quality. Finishes with dusty tannins and excellent energy. I'd hold off on drinking this for at least a year. This says 14.5% alcohol on the label but I never would have guessed it. (Sep/Oct 2010)"
90 points Wine Spectator: "Intense and concentrated, boasting powerful black cherry, plum, herbal and perfumed floral notes. A big mouthful of tannins gives the wine plenty of traction, with citrus peel notes and a fresh acidity. Drink now through 2018. 70 cases imported. (12/31/10)"
Producer notes: "A brightly perfumed nose of violet, rose and dark fruit. The aromas lead to a warm and inviting palate with layers of complex spice, dark cherry and chocolate. A powerful wine, yet sufficiently restrained and elegant. Fine tannins frame the wine with great precision and purity, leading to a sustained finish."
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$57.95
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AGT 95
JS 92
WS 91
New Zealand
In stock,
8
available
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95 points Australian Gourmet Traveller: "Poised and powerful with a lovely perfumed aroma and fine-boned texture. It shows a mix of floral, cherry, berry, spice and subtle savoury characters; plus a wild herb and mixed-spice influence. (Apr/May 2012)"
92 points James Suckling: "More meat and richness on the nose, as always. Full and chewy with tension and texture and a beautiful velvety feel. Turns fruity and stylish. Drink or hold. (12/28/12)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "Dense and distinctive, with fleshy black cherry and ripe raspberry flavors wonderfully highlighted with plenty of mineral, talc, lavender, truffle and spice box details. The flavors evolve on the finish. Drink now through 2019. 70 cases imported. (2012)"
91+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Medium-deep ruby-purple colored, the 2010 Calvert Pinot Noir is youthfully subdued at the moment, giving subtle notes of cranberries, pomegranate and dark chocolate over hints of hung meat, loam and moss covered bark. Medium bodied with a taut, muscular fruit in the mouth, it has a good backbone of crisp acid and medium-firm grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. Consider drinking it 2012 to 2017+. (Oct 2011)"
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Good full red. Aromas of dark raspberry, cola and musky soil tones, with a faint hint of char. Richer and deeper than the Cornish Point and Bannockburn bottlings, with lovely intensity to the flavors of red and dark berries, underbrush and cola. Currently a bit aggressive on the chewy, palate-coating back end, as the acids and tannins have not yet harmonized. But this wine grew silkier with time in the recorked bottle, and gained dramatically in red fruit character. I'd give it a year or two before pulling the cork. (Sep/Oct 2011)"
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$54.95
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WA 92
JS 92
W&S 91
New Zealand
In stock,
10
available
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92 points Wine Advocate: "Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2010 Cornish Point Pinot Noir gives aromas of red plums, red currants and wild cherries with hints of nutmeg, cassia, violets and lavender. Medium-full bodied with a generous amount of ripe cherry and spice flavors, it is well balanced with medium-high acid and silky tannins. The finish is long adding a lingering note of cinnamon toast. Delicious now, it should cellar to 2017. (Oct 2011)" -Lisa Perrotti-Brown
92 points James Suckling: "A layered and rich wine with spices, minerals and strawberry character throughout. Full and silky. Intense finish. Earthy undertone. Drink or hold. (12/28/12)"
91 points Wine & Spirits: "This starts off simple and juicy, focused on blueberry flavors and a rasp of fruit-skin spice. As it evolves in the glass, the scent opens to flowers and the fruit becomes more complex. Give this six months in bottle then serve with Candonese roast duck. (Feb 2012)"
Producer notes: "Violets and exotic spices combine on the nose with dark fruits of black cherry and plum. The rush of the palate is breathtaking: the fruit, a rack of spices, a hint of oak, mocha chocolate and the sheer textural opulence all fight for your instant attention. The riot continues into the finish, but ends clean with chocolate tannin and a cleansing minerality. A commanding wine."
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$21.95
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New Zealand
In stock,
2
available
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Born in Taiwan, Mountford's winemaker C.P. Lin, lost his sight due to carcinoma of the retina at the age of two. In the 1980s at age 13 he and his family migrated to New Zealand. Speaking five languages (English, Mandarin, Taiwanese, French and German), C.P. also achieved a degree in mathematics from the University of Canterbury and a degree in Wine Science from Lincoln University. With his photographic memory and amazing ability to recall wines from all over the world, C.P's love of wine shines through in his masterpieces. Through his dedication to perfection, Mountford wines are highly regarded by many and have developed an international following. Using the traditional Burgundian method within the winery, the fruit is openly fermented, followed by cold maceration prior to spending 16 months in French oak. This allows the wines to fully develop their finely tuned and well-balanced flavors.
Mountford's "Village" Pinot Noir is made from declassified estate and selected fruit from neighboring contract growers. It is crimson color with ruby going to brick red hue. Fine velvety tannins on a linear structure backed by sweet primary fruit characters. A wine for easy drinking while having classic Pinot flavors. A drink now wine with potential to age for a couple of years.
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$79.95
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WA 92
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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92 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Ruby in color, the 2009 Long Gully Pinot Noir displays youthfully mute red cherry and red plum notes with subtle hints of beets, tree bark, moss and Ceylon tea. Medium bodied, it leads with structure on the palate with a firm level of grainy tannins and lively acidity supporting concentrated red berry and earth flavors, finishing long. It should drink best 2012 to 2017+. (Oct 2011)"
18.5/20 points Geoff Kelly: "[14%; screwcap; 5 clones of pinot, the oldest (on own roots) 17 years at harvest; earlier vintages have been cropped at c. 4 t/ha = 1.6 t/ac; up to 9 days cold-soak with c. 6% whole-bunches, up to 8 days fermentation, up to 9 days maceration, a similar cuvaison to Target Gulley, but the least whole-bunch component; 16 months in French oak, some new] Pinot noir ruby. This is the quietest of the three Single Vineyard wines on bouquet, at the moment just an implied dusky florality in quite dark cherry fruit. On palate the fruit richness from red and black cherries is close to Target Gulley, the acid is lower than Pipeclay, but there is a slightly burly tannin quality yet to marry in. It is very hard to say which of Long and Pipeclay is the better, indeed one's view can change from tasting to tasting, but they are different. Winemaker Matt Dicey sees this as the most 'masculine' of the Individual Vineyard pinots. Cellar 3 - 8 years, 10 in a cool cellar. (Jun 2011)"
Producer notes: "This is the fourth Long Gully Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. Long Gully has always displayed classic red to black forest berry characters and for this cooler vintage blackcurrent and boysenberry really shine through. These same berries dominate the entry onto the palate, and flow in a rich and sensuous vein of fruit through the mid-palate. The wine finishes strongly with masculine fine grained tannin flowing into red berry fruit."
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$19.95
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WS 88
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $25.00
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88 points Wine Spectator: "[$25 list] Potpourri aromatics and a core of raspberry and strawberry flavors are lithe, vivid and expressive. Spice and mineral notes come in on the finish. Drink now through 2022. (12/31/12)"
Producer notes: "This wine highlights the warm season with lovely perfumed blackberry and dark Stella cherry fruits along with a hint of spice, adding complexity. The wine has a sweet berry entry which displays these same characters in abundance. Lovely ripe textural tannins rise gracefully out of the mid-palate to finish the wine. These are balanced by the wine’s acidity and fruit, to produce a long fruit-driven finish. Alcohol 14%."
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$79.95
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WA 93
New Zealand
In stock,
10
available
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93 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Ruby in color, the 2009 Target Gully Pinot Noir displays fragrant red cherry and pomegranate aromas with nuances of black pepper, spice box and damp earth. Medium bodied, tight-knit, and minerally in the mouth, it’s got a good foundation of medium-firm level of fine tannins and crisp acid, and finishes long. Still very youthful, it should drink best 2012 to 2017+. (Oct 2011)"
19/20 points Geoff Kelly: "[14%; screwcap; several clones, the oldest 15 years at hand-harvest; earlier vintages have been cropped at c. 4 t/ha = 1.6 t/ac; 9 days cold-soak, 7 days fermentation, 9 days maceration, giving a cuvaison of 25 days, 25% whole bunches; 16 months in French oak, some new, MLF in barrel the following spring; light fining only] This is one of the finest pinot noirs thus far made in New Zealand. Right from the medium cherry ruby colour, it emphasises that fine pinot noir is about beauty, rather more than weight. The bouquet is breathtaking, a wonderful interweaving of floral notes with sweet mixed-cherry fruit. Palate is soft, enticing, totally burgundian. The standard 2009 Mt Difficulty is seriously beautiful, but this is just magically more concentrated. Every winemaker in New Zealand who aspires to make quality pinot noir needs to buy, taste and own this wine, for reference. Cellar 3 - 8 years, maybe 10. (Aug 2011)"
Producer notes: "his vintage shows concentrated red cherry and blueberry fruits alongside a distinctive liquorice / anise spice character. The wine displays a strong red fruit of the forest entry, which moves into a rich and sensuous mid-palate then finishes strongly with a combination of fruit and finely grained tannin."
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$29.95
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WA 90
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $40.00
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90 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "[$40 list] This has a wonderful nose: black cherries, plum and a touch of cooked meats -- well defined with no peppery elements normally associated with Cabernet Franc. The palate is ripe, almost over-ripe with sweet black plum, macerated cherries and a honeyish note towards the svelte, weighty finish. (Sep 2009)"
Producer notes: "Deep ruby/black, with purple lights. Hugely perfumed: fruit, violets and furred game, and a tapenade-like mix of olive, black pepper, and herbs, especially savory and thyme. Black fruits turn redder with air: blackberry morphing to raspberry. Prettily floral and just slightly feral at the same time: hare served at a table set with irises. Layered and lush, both dense and plush: a weighted pile of velvet. Far-reaching flavours of raspberry, clove, bramble and brine; and mouth-coating, powder-fine tannins. Surprisingly fresh and cool, given the ripeness of the fruit. Finishes fine and concise and long, after the almost bawdy mid-palate sweetness. 2 tonnes/acre from a tiny parcel (1.9 acres) on sandy red loam soils, in the Bridge Pa triangle of Hawke's Bay. Hand picked, 100% destemmed, transferred by gravity to tank. Ambient soak of 5 days, warm indigenous yeast fermentation, 55 day cuvaison. Natural, spring malolactic. Twenty months on original lees in French barriques (35% new); bottled unfined and unfiltered on the summer equinox, December 2008. Alcohol 14.2%, pH 3.80. Production: 280 cases."
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$64.95
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New Zealand
In stock,
3
available
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91+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Pale to medium ruby colored, the 2009 Angel Flower Pinot Noir has ripe red cherry, cranberry and game aromas with nuances of yeast extract, forest floor and dusty earth. The medium bodied palate gives a great flavor concentration with medium-high acid, silky tannins and a long savory finish. Drink it now to 2015+. (Oct 2011)"
James Suckling rated the 2010 vintage 95 points and names it to his "Top 10 Wines in 2012".
Bright and lifted, fresh and floral (hedgerow flowers, cherry blossom, wild rose), and beautifully spiced: cinnamon, allspice, clove, with a tenor note of dried orange peel. Vigorous and lively, yet with soothing and seductive, lightly sweet, florals in the mouth, allied to little red fruits: redcurrant, griotte, sloe, thimbleberry. Delicious for its combination of comfort and invigoration - like a pink-tinged, fresh and fleshy Boucher nude. 260 cases produced.
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$64.95
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IWC 91
WA 90
New Zealand
In stock,
1
available
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91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Slightly hazy medium red. Musky aromas of raspberry, coffee and smoke. Lush, silky and sweet, with velvety plum and earth flavors spreading out to saturate the palate. Seamless pinot with excellent depth and sweet tannins. (Sep/Oct 2011)"
90+ points Wine Advocate: "Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2009 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir has red plum and ripe raspberry notes with an undercurrent of meat, beetroot, damp loam and dried Provence herbs, and a whiff of red flowers. Medium bodied with good acidity, velvety tannins and plenty of mouth-filling fruit, it lingers long into the finish. Drink it now to 2015+. (Oct 2011)" -Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Producer notes: "Intensely and complexly scented: cacao, blood orange, tamarind, kelp, old rose, and here, a richness of things autumnal -- game, wet earth, fallen leaves, fungi. A dark cherry/black plum note abides and combines. Wonderful richness and grip: rewarding that a wine so light in colour can offer such palate authority. Tasting this precipitates a kind of crashing through layers -- of silk, stone, fruit, spice and game. Perhaps less pretty than the Angel Flower, but may prove deeper. Finishes tight and long, with a pronounced, limestone-driven salinity. Alcohol 13.8%. 330 cases produced."
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$34.95
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IWC 91
WA 91
JS 91
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $45.00
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91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$45 list] Full medium red. Complex, enticing aromas of cherry, raspberry, gunflint, spices, herbs and smoky minerality. The palate offers fat, sweet pinot red fruits complicated by chocolate and minerals. The smoky quality carries through to the plush, generous finish, which features a fine dusting of tannins and excellent persistence. I'm not sure this has the verve to support extended cellaring, but it's already abundantly sexy wine. (Sep/Oct 2010)"
91 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2008 'Calvert Vineyard' Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard based in Bannockburn and is managed by Felton Road. With the inclusion of 25% whole cluster and having been matured 14 months on original lees in 25% new French oak, it gives intense aromas of black cherries, warm raspberries, some earthy loam and moss plus nuances of cinnamon and coffee. Full bodied with crisp acid and a low to medium level of fine tannins, it finishes long and savory with some menthol coming through. Drink it now to 2015. (Oct 2010)"
91 points James Suckling: "A bright wine with dried berries and blueberries. Full and very fruity with firm tannins and a long finish. Racy and upfront. Drink now. (12/28/12)"
Producer notes: "Ruby/black, with purple tinges. Thyme branch, creosote, raspberry puree; a note of bruised blackberries in fresh cream. Reelingly floral: hedgerose, nasturtium, lavender. An intriguing muscat/orange zest component - musk this year in place of spice. Rich and broad, expansive, alluring and inviting without becoming profligate; very ripe, something almost essential, but nothing reduced or preserved; really saturates the palate and senses, in a lush but invigorating way. May well tread the line between lust and listen, but there's content here for anyone inclined to attend. Hand picked, 75% destemmed, thus 25% whole cluster, transferred by gravity to tank. Ambient soak of 3-5 days, warm indigenous yeast fermentation, 27-28 day cuvaison. Natural, spring malolactic. Fourteen months on original lees in French barriques (25% new); bottled unfined and unfiltered on the winter equinox, June 2009. Alcohol 14.3%, pH 3.71. Production: 700 cases."
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$34.95
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WA 92
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $45.00
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92+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "[$45 list] Receiving 15% whole cluster and aged 15 months in French oak, 33% new, on original lees, the 2007 'Eaton Family Vineyard' Pinot Noir has a medium ruby color. There’s a funky/wild character on the nose over aromas of warm strawberries and raspberries, game, earth, forest floor, loam, truffles and a whiff of dried herbs. Very crisp and tight in the mouth, this medium-full bodied Pinot gives a medium level of silky tannins with great flavor concentration and a long layered finish. Drink it now to 2015+. (Oct 2010)"
4-1/2 stars, Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "Grown on clay slopes on the south side of the Wairau Valley, the 2007 vintage is a fleshy, elegant and supple wine with concentrated, ripe plum and spice flavours, savoury and complex, and a silky, sustained finish."
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$29.95
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IWC 91
New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $45.00
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91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$45 list] Bright medium red. Pure aromas of raspberry, cherry, spices and orange peel showed increasingly liqueur-like ripeness with extended aeration. Dense but high-pitched, with a juicy blood orange note that initially reminded me of Chambolle-Musigny. Finishes with a nicely restrained sweetness and a light touch. This is still quite young. I would have scored it even higher but for some emerging suggestions of superripeness. (Sep/Oct 2009)"
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$14.95
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W&S 92
New Zealand
In stock,
5
available
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List $30.00
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*SPECIAL: Take 10% Off Listed Price!
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92 points Wine & Spirits: "[$30 list] Blended from vineyards in the Awatere and Wairau valleys--some of the lots fermented with added yeast, some without--this is a pure and rosy pinot with spiciness that lasts. A hint of gamey complexity at the end makes this a delicate match for roast quail stuffed with wild mushrooms. (Feb 2011)"
Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines: "...this is often New Zealand's best-value Pinot Noir. Grown in the Awatere and Wairau valleys, it is hand-picked, fermented partly with indigenous years, and matured for nine months in French oak barriques (typically 40 per cent new). The 2008 is... ruby-hued, medium-bodied, with cherry, plum and spice flavours and ripe, supple tannins. Sweet-fruited, it's an intensely varietal wine that should reward moderate cellaring... (2010)"
Producer notes: "A perfumed bouquet of red and dark cherries, plums and spice notes. Fruit driven and elegant, with long layers of flavour, full-bodied and well-balanced with fine, grainy tannins. This wine is concentrated and rich -- an elegant Pinot Noir with finesse and complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now but with careful cellaring will continue to develop for another five to eight years. Serving suggestion: Red and white meats including lamb, beef, venison, duck, rabbit and wild game."
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