The range of pinot noir from the Valli vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand is superb, wine maker Grant Taylor has been making wine in the region for nearly 30 years and for his own vineyard for the last 25 years.
The Waitaki vineyard is on the Waitaki river about 230kms to the north of Queenstown, it was planted in 2004 in limestone soil spread on river gravels.
So on to the wine; it starts on the palate with aromas of wild strawberry, cherry and cassis with spices of cedar, mushroom, cardamon and thyme. The wine is concentrated yet bright, it starts tight and opens with fine tannins and incredible length and persistence. It has a delicious and intense fragrance and an extremely rewarding flavour. This is truly one of my favourite wines of the year.
Awards and Reviews
- 100/100 Points – Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
- 96/100 Points – Cameron Douglas MS
- 96/100 Points – 5 Stars – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
- 95/100 Points – Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
- 96/100 Points – Almanak