DICEY PINOT NOIR 2021

Dicey is the Central Otago brand of the Dicey brothers. Father Robin and sons James and Matt have had an integral involvement in many aspects of Central Otago wine since the early 1990's. The family were founding partners in Mt Difficulty with Matt being the winemaker since its inception in 1996 until now and James viticulturalist for many well known Central Otago wineries. They know their stuff!

Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"Wine is about place. Dicey is a place that is a rocky pocket of Central Otago: Bannockburn. It’s not easy to make wine here. Hoar frosts. Wind. Bitter cold and crackling heat. The land is unforgiving and the wines express that struggle.

The fruit comes from three vineyards started by three families transcending two generations. James and Odelle have The Inlet. Matt and Ali belong to Black Rabbit. Their pioneering parents, Robin and Margi, own their Swansong. Dicey Bannockburn wines pay homage. They tell the annual story of the region and share the colours of each season.

Aromas: Dark cherry. Chocolate. Earthy
Palate: Elegant. Focused. Complex

60% The Inlet, 40% Black Rabbit. 5% whole clusters, 95% destemmed. 23 days on skins 7 days cold soak, 7 days ferment, 9 days post ferment. Indigenous yeast. The wines were punched down once per day through to dryness, then left to soak. Malolactic fermentation in the spring. 12 months in barrel with 20% new oak. Bottled unfined but filtered October 2022."

5 Stars, Top 10 Cuisine Pinot Noir Tasting, April 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Beautiful in the glass with a deep garnet colour, this wine is high toned and fresh with black cherry coming to the fore of the nose. The fruit-forward palate is concentrated, round and seductive with rich currant, mixed spice and dried herbs in abundance. The wine has lovely acid tension, a dense midplate and a voluptuous mouthfeel."

Rated Excellent & 94/100 Cameron Douglas MS, January 2024 (2021 Vintage)  
"A hallmark wine from the Dicey team with a vibrant and polished bouquet of ripe cherry and dried raspberry, there’s a savoury dried herb quality set against barrel spices and dry stony soil scents. These complexities follow through onto the palate with a wine of texture, generosity and length. Firm tannins and acidity lead the palate textures with a core of dark berry fruit, spices and a touch of chocolate follow. Spices from barrel include clove. A wine of length and intensity, flavour and texture. Also, a wine that does not lose its sense of pinosity and charm. Youthful and taut still with best drinking from late 2025 through 2032+."

92/100 David Walker Bell, WineFolio.co.nz, October 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"The Dicey brothers cuvé – 60% from The Inlet vineyard, 40% from the Black Rabbit vineyard in Bannockburn, Central Otago. On the nose I wanted to see more ‘pinosity’ – the cassis, jube-y raspberry, blood orange and plum fruit spoke of a lovely red wine, but not Pinot Noir specifically. On the palate is where the action happens though – a flush of concentrated dark cherry, dried thyme and dusty minerality gives a real sense of terroir. A surge of acidity swells the palate, balancing some chewy, meaty tannins. Focussed and tense just now, but with the structure to round out nicely."

92/100 Jane Skilton MW (2021 Vintage)
"An appetising, generous style of pinot with masses of red cherry and raspberry fruit, some dried herbs too . Plenty of concentration and lovely silky tannins, so whilst this is quite a bold wine, it retains an appealing smooth texture. Drink from 2025 – 2028."