FORAGER PINOT NOIR 2022

The ‘Forager’ label is the exciting family wine project of talented and thoughtful winemaker Dominic Maxwell at Greystone Wines in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. Dominic was awarded 2018 New Zealand Winemaker of the Year for his high quality wines and this is his personal project that lets him express his individual take on Pinot Noir.

Dominic intends to take the natural process of winemaking to a new level by conducting wild fermentation in the vineyard so that the indigenous yeasts of the vineyard can work thoroughly in their natural environment to truly express the actual vineyard site and “the essence of the land” as Dominic puts it.

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
“This is the tenth release of Forager Pinot Noir, after frost wiped out the 2021 crop. 2022 was a naturally low yielding season as the vines rejuvenated from the 2021 frost. The season provided challenges throughout – requiring more hands on work in the vineyard as rain and higher humidity bought more growth to the vines. Several passes through this small vineyard to tend to shoot thinning, bunch thinning, dropping shoulders and leaf plucking have provided the natural raw ingredients for a vibrant and expressive wine. The fruit was hand picked in early April and left outside in the vines to ferment with a full 28 days on skins, before bringing to the winery for a gentle pressing to French oak barrels. The wine was aged for 15 months before bottling without fining or filtration.”

5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, June 2024 (2022 Vintage)
“Complex and enticing, the bouquet shows dark berry, roasted nut, clove and warm mushroom aromas, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering succulent fruit intensity with savoury nuances. Beautifully framed by finely pitched tannins, finishing superbly long and velvety. At its best: now to 2034.”

18.5/20 Joelle Thomson (2022 Vintage)
“This stellar expression of North Canterbury Pinot Noir has layers of red fruit, earthy nuances and bright fresh acidity for depth and length. It is made from grapes grown on the evocatively named Isolated Hill Vineyard, situated on limestone slopes, 40 minutes drive from North Canterbury and devoted entirely to Pinot Noir. Winemaker Dom Maxwell hand picks the grapes for this wine, ferments the wine outside, allowing wild yeasts to do the work, followed by 15 month months of barrel ageing. It will age superbly for seven to eight years, potentially longer.”