Winery notes (2019 Vintage)
"100% estate grown Pinot Noir from our Manata Vineyard in Lowburn, Central Otago. Fragrant blackberry and raspberry with hints of liquorice, black pepper and clove. Sweet red plum, cherry and spice. Richly textured with lovely minerality. Complex with a long and silky sweet berry finish.
Hand-harvested and fermented with natural yeasts in open top fermenters and wooden cuves. 20% whole bunch. The wine was aged in French oak barriques and French oak cuves for around 11 months, of which 20% was new oak."
94/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review, September 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Pyramid Valley is located in Canterbury, where most of its wines are grown, but this one comes from the former Lowburn Ferry vineyard in Central Otago. It’s medium red in colour with a tinge of purple and a layered bouquet of spicy, foresty aromas, the Campari notes suggesting a substantial proportion of whole-bunch ferment. It’s restrained a refined in the mouth, with a slightly wild tang and beautifully fine, soft tannins. A classy pinot of impressive harmony. "
Rated Excellent & 93/100 Cameron Douglas MS (2019 Vintage)
"Ripe, fruity, varietal and enticingly complex bouquet. Aromas of cherry and dried raspberry, silty chalky mineral core and an ingrained savoury dried herb frame. Equally varietal, fruity and savoury on the palate with flavours that mirror the nose. A quiet layer of oak adds complexity and charm with some spice moments. Fine tannins and medium+ acidity. Balanced, well made and ready to enjoy upon purchase and through 2028."
91/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, March 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"It's perfumed and lifted on the nose with dried cherry, leather, game and dried herb aromas. The palate displays sweet berry flavours together with rich spicy notes and savoury nuance, finishing firm and drying. At its best: now to 2024."
91/100 Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, August 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Juicy, natural feeling Central Otago Pinot here. Poached strawberry, thyme, spice and a kiss of vanilla oak. It’s squishy and subtly sappy, brown spices and more of that wild herb perfume, a clay and earthy feel, a little tamarind tang on a finish of moderate length and powdery grip. Good wine, with no shortage of interest and texture."
Reviews for previous vintages below…
5 Stars Michael Cooper (2018 Vintage)
"The very youthful 2018 vintage was estate-grown at Lowburn and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques and cuves (partly new). Bright ruby, it is highly fragrant, with strong, ripe cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, complex and savoury. Built to last, it's well worth cellaring to 2022+."
5 Stars & Top 5 Cuisine Pinot Noir Tasting, April 2019 (2017 Vintage)
"A bold wine in a riper style with genuine presence. There is an initial impression of overripeness yet the elements, despite their volume, are expertly balanced. The juicy and spicy palate is filled with blackberries and dried herbs underscored by framed tannins."
92/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (2017 Vintage)
"The new owners have expanded Pyramid Valley’s production to include an offering from their vineyard in Central Otago. Formerly known as Lowburn Ferry, it’s been renamed Manata. The 2017 Pinot Noir delivers bold black cherry and subtle earthy notes, a medium to full-bodied palate and hints of mocha and plum. With its suave, silky texture, it’s drinkable now, but it shows the concentration and length to drink well through 2026."