RIPPON MATURE VINE PINOT NOIR 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"The farm voice of a distinct parcel of land: Rippon. On the western board of Roy’s Bay, Lake Wanaka, Rippon’s north-facing escarpment forms the meeting point of terminal moraines and coarse gravels, all based in schist, on which some of the region’s earliest vines were planted. Rippon is a Wine issued from all of the fully developed Pinot Noir vines growing in this land.

Picked by hand into small, 10kg cases allowing the fruit to arrive at the winery’s sorting table undamaged and intact. This wine represents many small parcels of different clones, vine ages and micro-sites within a single Vineyard: Rippon. They were picked and fermented separately in 13, 2-tonne stainless-steel fermenters.

Each parcel is fermented and matured apart before blending. The winery’s resident yeast population (non-inoculated) completed cuvaison in 9-11 days. The ferments reached maximum temperatures of 15-32° Celsius. Total time of skin contact: 14-28 days depending on parcel Barrel management: 12 months of new (21%) to 4 year old French oak barrels. The malolactic fermentation went through unaided (non-inoculated) in springtime; it was then racked back into barrel and allowed a second winter in barrel before being run directly into bottle without filtering or fining."

97/100 JamesSuckling.com, October 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"Lovely ripe berries and strawberries with some juicy fruit and forest flower aromas that follow through to a full body with layers of fruit and fine tannins that spread across the palate. Oyster shell and granite-like undertones. Warm fruit character yet cool in the mouth. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, December 2024 (2021 Vintage)
"Youthful and taut, an expression of site and soil, slightly darker fruited though a little more mystery and personality. Dry and firm with ripe tannins in abundance, plenty of acidity and mouthfeel, length and intrigue. Dried cherry and plums, some raspberry and fresh cherry fruit flavour suggestions, chalky textured tannins, lots of length and complexity. Best from 2028 through 2038."

94/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front, February 2025 (2021 Vintage)
"Soft and fleshy pinot noir with a shimmer of fine, lacy tannins in tow, umami characters, dried, autumnal leaf notes, dried cherry, cranberry, raspberry purity and all the exotic spice. Indeed, spice leads and finishes the wine, the texture a mesh of haze and tension, the length superb. A contemplative wine yet one with high drinkability."