Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
“What a lovely expression of Pinot from a cracking vintage in Marlborough, matured in French oak barrels. It has a delightful pale colour and perfume to spare with loads of bright cherry, lots of autumnal twigs and leaves, and a hint of roasting chestnuts. The palate bursts with juicy fruit. There's a raspberry and orange vivaciousness to this, a crackling energy bright with glossy cherry, but the slightly smoky - again roasting chestnuts spring to mind - adds depth, the tannins very fine and the oak smoothing the finish.” 94/100
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com Nov 2022
Buy a case (12 bottles) to get 12% discount - If you would like to organise a mixed case please email kevin@riverbyestate.com and we can put together a special order.
The fruit for our Reserve Pinot Noir was all grown on our Jacksons Road vineyard. Several different Pinot clones were utilised to add complexity; notably clones UDC 5, 114, 115, 667 and 777. The oldest vines are 28 years old. We identified the best rows of each individual Pinot clone from early in the season and “reserved” them for this wine, hence its reserve name.
2020 will go down in history as a special Marlborough vintage. Not only did it take place during the Covid troubles, but it is also widely regarded as one of the great Marlborough vintages with perfect weather throughout giving ideal ripening conditions and virtually no disease pressure. The weather was dry and warm for the three months leading into harvest. Because we are lucky enough to have ample water supplies, we were able to keep our vines in pristine condition and harvest the grapes when they were in perfect condition on 17 March 2020. Low yields meant the grapes came in with exquisite flavours.
The bunches were destemmed, and the fruit was cold soaked for up to five days, before being hand plunged in open-top fermenters. It was then transferred to our very best, especially selected barrels. It eventually ended up spending almost 14 months in oak, a significant portion new oak, before being bottled on 20 May 2021.
Medium, bright cherry in colour, this wine has a delightfully complex and beguiling nose displaying an abundance of ripe red fruits, cherries, plums, and darker berry fruits. There is a lovely floral component, predominantly violets and red roses, and a myriad of increasingly complex characters including herbs and spices, with lashings of vanilla. On the palate it is deceptively rich and spicy and very appealing. There are chocolate notes as well as cherries, spices and developing savoury hints, which all contribute to the silky-smooth mouthfeel. This is a beautifully textured wine with fine grained tannins, refined acid balance and appealing complexity. It lingers beautifully and leaves a very elegant, refined impression with a nice herbal character. It will continue to develop for many years to come and should gain even greater complexity.
Technical notes
Alcohol: 12.55% Acidity: 5.2 PH: 3.73 Residual Sugar: 0.
Reviews
Complex and inviting, the bouquet shows sweet cherry, cedar, clove, cured meat and dried herb nuances, leading to a beautifully supple palate delivering ripe fruit flavours with a spicy undertone. Attractively framed by fine polished tannins, finishing structured and engaging. At its best: now to 2027.
***** 93/100
Sam Kim. Wine Orbit April 2022
What a lovely expression of Pinot from a cracking vintage in Marlborough, matured in French oak barrels. It has a delightful pale colour and perfume to spare with loads of bright cherry, lots of autumnal twigs and leaves, and a hint of roasting chestnuts. The palate bursts with juicy fruit. There's a raspberry and orange vivaciousness to this, a crackling energy bright with glossy cherry, but the slightly smoky - again roasting chestnuts spring to mind - adds depth, the tannins very fine and the oak smoothing the finish.
94/100
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com Nov 2022