PYRAMID VALLEY MANATA PINOT NOIR 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Deep crimson in appearance. A complex nose showcasing black cherry, black raspberry, baking spices, vanilla and earthy undertones. Juicy and ripe dark berries balanced by youthful freshness and acidity. Robust tannins offering depth, structure and aging potential."

5 Stars & 96/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2021 Vintage)
"Manata is a vineyard in Lowburn, Central Otago which has been cultivated as a market garden for 150 years to produce soils that are high in organic matter. Dense, rich and concentrated pinot noir with cassis, ripe plum, and mocha flavours. Seductive, accessible and tantalisingly complex wine with development potential."

5 Stars & 96/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, April 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"It's gorgeously fruited and complex on the nose showing dark plum, thyme, hazelnut, rich floral and warm dried mushroom aromas, leading to a luxurious palate that's concentrated and succulent. Wonderfully complemented by fleshy texture and an abundance of polished tannins, finishing impressively long and gratifying. Graceful and robust at the same time with a sense of opulence. At its best: now to 2036."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, June 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Wonderful purity of fruit and elegant unfurling of fruit and soil aromas. A wine of time and place with a bouquet releasing scents of black cherry and crushed rocks, vanilla and clove barrel spices and Doris plums, floral and perfumed, youthful and new. As the wine touches the palate flavours of dark cherries and plums emerge alongside dried raspberry and gentle savoury begin to show. Moderate flavours of newish barrel with a gentle dried herb quality, medium+ acid line and an abundance of polished tannins. Complex, dry, well made and lengthy. A delicious drink on its own or with moderately rich protein based fare."

94/100 James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com (2021 Vintage)
"Sweet cherry and strawberry with cedar, light tar and stone aromas along with some vanilla bean that follows through to a full body with round and polished tannins and a crunchy finish. A savoury tone to the fruit makes this very attractive and enticing. Fine and firm tannined finish. Drink or hold."

93/100 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2021 Vintage)
"The 2021 Manata Pinot Noir is distinctly soft, rolling and round—it sort of flows across the palate in a liquid kind of way (despite the fact that it is, actually, liquid). It's all dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee grounds, black pudding, dark cherry, plum skin and bay leaf. This is a soft, pillowy wine that has magnitude and gravitas through the finish, which is a pleasurable offset. A red apple core at the heart of the wine keeps me coming back for more … a good attribute in a wine. “Those dark characters may be the impact of the last five days of harvest, where we had strong warm northwest winds. It hit 30 degrees occasionally," says Steve Smith, MW."

5 Stars & 19+/20 (96) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, May 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Moderately deep ruby-red and a black hue, lighter on the rim. The nose is gently full, with aromas of savoury plum, black cherry, raspberry, black olive, thyme, ash, spice and a hint of game. Medium-bodied aromas of salted plum, black cherry and raspberry interweaved with black olive, thyme, and delicate spice, along with ashy earthy and gamey notes. The fruit is sweet and pure with lacy acid support. Silky tannins leave a powdery coating on the palate and linger with good energy and a savoury, fresh closing. This Pinot Noir is delicate with a refined tannin framework, pure fruit and a lacy, enticing acid line. Match with roasted lamb rack and black pudding over the next 8 years. Fruit from Manata vineyard in Lowburn, handpicked, fermented with wild yeasts, aged in French oak for 12-18 months, bottled unfined, unfiltered."