Accolades
Fine Wines of New Zealand
Classic Wine of New Zealand – Michael Cooper
Top Wineries of New Zealand 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 – The Real Review
Wine Classification of New Zealeand – 2 Merits – The Real Review
Reviews
Bob Campbell MW – The Real Review – 95/100
Bright, fresh pinot with vibrant black cherry, violet, fresh herb, oyster shell and subtle spicy oak flavours supported by fine, bright tannins that give the wine energy and the flavours a gentle launching pad. Appealing wine that is deliciously accessible now but no rush. May 2023 Drink 2023–2035
Michael Cooper – NZ Wine Buyers Guide – 5 stars ★★★★★
Estate-grown in Alexandra, this is typically a good buy. Hand-harvested from vines planted in 2003, the 2019 vintage (5*) was matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (28 per cent new). Deep, bright ruby, it is a powerful young red, mouthfilling, with concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, vibrant and savoury. Best cellared to 2024 onwards, it is likely to be long-lived.
Cameron Douglas MS – 95/100 Outstanding
Youthful and engaging bouquet with a fine savoury scent and core of ripe red cherry fruits, some light red raspberry flesh and minerality suggesting crumbled earth and stone. Even better on the palate with a vibrant texture from tannins and acidity and fruit flavours that coat the palate. Complex, dry, lengthy and well made. A wine still developing with primary fruits at the forefront of flavour then layers of oak and toasty wood spice attributes. Best drinking from 2025 through 2035. I tried this wine over 3 days and more than a little impressed with its stability, core attributes and complexity. May 2023
Yvonne Lorkin – YvonneLorkin.com – 5 stars ★★★★★
Glossy dark cherry colour and buckets of dark cherry aromatics burst forth on the nose, hints of cocoa and dried herb notes then wrap around a core of black tea and rhubarb. It’s a complex, multi-layered wine that’s fresh and energetic and destined for the long haul. Even though it’s 14% alcohol, it feels balanced and lithe. 24 May 2023
Mark Henderson – Otago Daily Times – Rating Outstanding
Wisps of funk (in a nice way), fragrance, flitting from strawberry to blueberry to red fruits, gravelly minerality, spice flecks. The palate brimming with flavour yet deftly balanced. Juicy, youthful, emerging savoury nuances, that gravelly quality again, fine tannins, great length. An iron fist in a velvet glove, deceptive power and gets the salivary juices flowing. Lots going on. 21 June 2023
Rebecca Gibb MW – Vinous – 91/100
The 2019 Pinot Noir Earnscleugh Vineyard has a sense of ease about it. It’s elegant and charming, with open fruit and supple tannins offering gentle grip. There’s plenty of concentration and the wine is packaged within a harmonious, rounded core. The red fruit, black cherry and florals are supported by subtle oak-derived spices. Very more-ish.
Joelle Thomson www.joellethomson.com
This lively young Pinot Noir smells, feels and even looks like it comes from grapes grown in a cool climate, due to its relatively pale ruby hue, its powerful red fruit aromas and flavours that show freshness from high acidity which is balanced by flavours of dried fruit, underpinned by a silky grip on the finish. History suggests this wine will age beautifully too, if a bottle of the 2013 Grasshopper Rock Pinot Noir enjoyed recently is anything to go by…
www.joellethomson.com/blog/post/107335/grasshopper-rock-then-and-now