Reserve Pinot Noir 2021
“Matured for a year in French oak barrels, the nose has an intriguing combination of charry, roasted chestnut depth and lifted, floral kirsch and rose fragrance. It's a lovely combination, giving layers of complexity to the aroma. On the palate, spice and meaty flavours again combine with such sweet and plush red berry fruits. Ripeness is excellent, but twin forces of silky tannin and the keen, honed edge of acidity keep the picture taut and juicy. It's a marvellous Pinot this, among the best I've tasted from the ever-improving Pinot scene in the Marlborough region: long, pure-fruited and beautifully balanced into the finish. 94/100”
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com March 2024
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.
“Matured for a year in French oak barrels, the nose has an intriguing combination of charry, roasted chestnut depth and lifted, floral kirsch and rose fragrance. It's a lovely combination, giving layers of complexity to the aroma. On the palate, spice and meaty flavours again combine with such sweet and plush red berry fruits. Ripeness is excellent, but twin forces of silky tannin and the keen, honed edge of acidity keep the picture taut and juicy. It's a marvellous Pinot this, among the best I've tasted from the ever-improving Pinot scene in the Marlborough region: long, pure-fruited and beautifully balanced into the finish. 94/100”
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com March 2024
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.
“Matured for a year in French oak barrels, the nose has an intriguing combination of charry, roasted chestnut depth and lifted, floral kirsch and rose fragrance. It's a lovely combination, giving layers of complexity to the aroma. On the palate, spice and meaty flavours again combine with such sweet and plush red berry fruits. Ripeness is excellent, but twin forces of silky tannin and the keen, honed edge of acidity keep the picture taut and juicy. It's a marvellous Pinot this, among the best I've tasted from the ever-improving Pinot scene in the Marlborough region: long, pure-fruited and beautifully balanced into the finish. 94/100”
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com March 2024
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.
2021 was a brilliant Marlborough vintage: other than poor weather at flowering time, which reduced yields significantly. The hot dry season that followed meant the smaller than usual crops were able to ripen perfectly and remained in pristine condition. There was no rain leading into harvest, which meant the grapes came in clean and disease free when picked on 12 March 2021.
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 30 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. 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 Rousseau Video and Allegro barrels. It eventually ended up spending almost 15 months in oak, 40% new oak, before being bottled on 15 June 2022.
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: 12.57% Acidity: 5.2 PH: 3.79 Residual Sugar: 0.
Reviews
It's seductively expressed and enticing on the nose, showing dark berry, dried herb, warm mushroom and toasted nut aromas. The palate displays excellent weight and silky flow, wonderfully framed by fleshy texture and finely infused tannins, finishing impressively long and engaging. At its best: now to 2031. ***** 95/100
Sam Kim. Wine Orbit. July 2024
A stony quality, fragrance, wisps of forest floor, baking spices, savoury, fruit in support. Elegant. Cooler in the mouth, cranberry, redcurrant, forest floor, fine, grainy tannins and bright acidity reminding you of the deceptive backbone to this. Shows a little more tautnesss as it takes on air; starting to drink nicely but potential if you can keep your mitts off it. Excellent.
Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times. Sept 2024