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Winemaker Note
“Nice, unfiltered “Natural” appearance with a ruby red hue. Love the unforced transparent pinot purity on show here! Lots of red fruited and floral prettiness, while looking every bit a Martinborough wine with abundant earthy/savoury complexity. A hint of bottle development beginning to show in the form spice and game. Really enjoyed the challenges of this vintage and am excited by what I am seeing in this wine after some time in bottle. Great energy and travel across the palate with tannins and texture riding right down the middle. A real front and back wine with a rich smooth ride. Pretty classy wine with a long and promising future in front of it. We hold the Silver River back to allow some bottle age which makes this pretty compelling drinking now. Best to decant and drink out of a nice big glass! Cellar with confidence for 10 plus years. Best drinking from 2024.”
Recent Reviews
“96 points. Immensely complex and engaging, the wine shows dark berry, dried herb, tapenade, cedar and floral aromas on the nose. It’s equally impressive on the palate offering excellent weight and depth, while remaining supremely elegant and refined. At its best: now to 2030. ”
“94 points. Fantastic bouquet capturing the aromas of Martinborough, a core of red berry fruits and silty mineral soils along with baking spice scents of cedar and clove. A layer of toasty lightly smoky French oak adds complexity and allure. Delicious on the palate with textures from tannins and acidity in harmony with flavours of dark cherry, some raspberry and ripe mangosteen fruit. Excellent texture and concentration, length and charm. Best drinking from 2021 through 2026. Try this wine with Thorveld Curado Cheese from Nelson.”
“5 stars. Designed as a ‘reserve wine project’, the 2018 vintage (5*) was harvested from the oldest vines in the Eclipse and Blue Rock vineyards, matured in French oak puncheons (50 per cent new), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Ruby hued, it is enticingly perfumed, full-bodied, sweet-fruited and vigorous, with savoury, nutty notes adding complexity and good tannin backbone. Already delicious, it’s well worth cellaring to 2023+.”
