AKITU PINOT NOIR BLANC 2023

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"Light straw yellow with a rose gold hue. Complex festoon of aromatics and perfume. Pink and orange rose petal, subtle musk bouquet over ripe stone fruit, nectarine, and apricot blossom. There is an expansion of pistachio dust on wet slate, hints of camomile and marigold adding layers of earthy florals. A distant note of amaranth and cinnamon lead you to the top of the haystack, near the roof of the hay shed on a summer afternoon, a touch halcyon perhaps.

While there is plenty of fruit there is a distinct savoury almost saline presence to the palate of this wine. Tight and crunchy entry with a long and abundant persistence. Ripe quince and custard apple and a hint of feijoa, leads to grapefruit and mandarin with notes of kaffir lime leaf folding through cinnamon and baking spices. Unique volume and textural power with supple acid tension giving way to a very long and silky finish. Hints of wild strawberry and white cranberry linger well after the tactile effect has dissipated. White anchovies and grilled squid on the Barcelona waterfront would seem ideal.

Winemaking: This wine is all about the vineyard and minimal winemaking interference. So, the question is, how to best capture the sense of place and variety with so few levers to pull? Picking in the cool of the morning and whole bunch pressing to ensure minimal phenolic extraction. Gentle juice handling and into ferment with fluffy juice solids has given us fruit expression with a cosy overlay of silky yeast derived texture on a harmonic tannin base. Partial ferment in old French oak adds another dimension of complexity."

93/100 Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous (2023 Vintage)
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Blanc is a serious, richly concentrated take on a Rosé with the palest of hues. While creamy in texture, a cleansing acidity provides brightness and leaves you wanting a second glass. The 2023 is bone-dry and medium to full in weight. This Pinot Noir is a rounded wine with real girth and appealing flavours of crushed raspberries, fresh pear and apple fruit."

92/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2023 Vintage)
"Delicate, ethereal wine with subtly succulent, floral, red cherry with a blush of colour and a hint of sweetness. Delicious wine that deserves to be well chilled to restrain the sweetness."

92/100 David Walker Bell, WineFolio.co.nz, May 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"A white wine made from Pinot Noir – it is the only varietal that Akitu grow. A pale straw-copper colour in the glass, just a hint of coral pink. The bouquet shows peach, satsuma, almond, hay, cranberry, quince and herbal flavours of lime leaf and chamomile plus spicy cardamom and cinnamon. Very textural immediately on the palate, with a silken mouthfeel. Then acidity comes forward – swift and flowing, adding tension and zip – a compelling interplay between the two. A lengthy drying finish."

91/100 Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com, December 2024 (2023 Vintage)
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Blanc is even lighter in the glass than I recall the 2022 being, and the nose leads with strawberry shortcake, clotted cream and a hint of bramble and spice. In the mouth, the wine has a lovely creamy texture and a surprising penetration of flavour. While delicate, this is engaging and attractive."

91/100 JamesSuckling.com (2023 Vintage)
"Ruby grapefruit, white peaches and apricots with subtle raspberries and cherry blossom followed by underlying sour cream notes. Off-dry, medium-bodied and crisp acidity. Fragrant and delightful wine that is suitable for enjoying on a summer beach. Sustainable. Drink now."