ROCKBURN THE ART PINOT NOIR 2021

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"One of the (many) attractions to the field of Winemaking is that singular combination of art and science employed to craft each wine, every year. The Science is well defined, and the literature is continually being added to; the Art is not so easy to pin down. It is born of the individual winemaker and their Muse and exists in the heart; it finds its expression within the senses of the imbiber. This wine is the result of our Winemaker let loose to practice his Artistry on fruit from other sites within Central Otago.

Created from a single vineyard site high in the Dunstan foothills this Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence of its origins. Very high-quality fruit and excellent physiological ripeness allowed for a generous inclusion of whole bunches in the ferment, adding spice and texture to the wine, and further complexity and harmony was encouraged with extended maturation in barrel. This wine shows a dense core of dark cherries, suggestions of star anise and cinnamon, firm yet pliable tannins and a structure defined by length and elegance. Fine tension and minerality underline the palate and indications are strong for a decade or so of cellaring should you wish; please be aware a fine deposit may occur as a result of our minimal handling philosophy."

5 Stars & 97/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, September 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Sweetly ripe and seductively complex with dark plum, thyme, cedar, olive and rich floral aromas, it's plush and flavoursome in the mouth delivering multi-layered mouthfeel together with refined texture and fine grainy tannins, leading to a sustained brooding finish. At its best: 2024 to 2036."

5 Stars & 96/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, September 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Bold, rich and quite complex red with layers of cherry, berry, floral and mixed spice flavours that keep changing as the wine sits in the glass (decanting is recommended). Appealing wine that promises to evolve with bottle age."

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, September 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Complex, elegant, lifted, sophisticated, a wine with aromas of ripe red berry fruits, red stone fruits, plum and barrel spices. There’s a sense of place within the bouquet and this follows through to the palate with a dried herb and gravelly clay soil quality. Tannins are firm, ripe and along with the acidity lay the foundation for texture and ageing. There’s a tautness to the palate highlighting the youthful nature. Plenty of fruit and sweet barrel spice flavours. A lovely wine with length and complexity. Well made."

5 Stars & 19.0+/20 (96) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, September 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Deep, moderate ruby-red, lighter on the rim. This has a lifted, elegant bouquet with aromas of hibiscus, Morello cherry, plum entwined with vanilla and whole bunch nuance. Medium-full bodied, concentrated aromas of Morello cherry plum intertwined with hibiscus, vanilla, cinnamon and savoury stalk element. The wine is well-defined, with concentrated, balanced ripe fruit, spice elements and lacy acidity. Velvety tannin extraction provides structure and perfume aromatics. This refined Pinot Noir shows well-defined layers, well-balanced flavour and structure and will benefit from cellaring. Match with roasted duck and lamb rack over the next 10 years. Fruit from Dunston foothills, clone 115, cold soaked 8 days in 7-tonne fermenter, fermented with 30% whole bunch over one week with daily plunging, post ferment maceration for 10 days, then aged 14 months in French oak, 50% new oak."