VALLI GIBBSTON VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2020

Selected for the Fine Wines of New Zealand List

Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"Bright garnet hue with fresh flavours of cherry, raspberry, and sweet red apple mingled with intriguing scents of lilac, rosemary, pink peppercorn, and graphite. The wine has a heady perfume of delicate spice, florals, and ripe red fruit that delivers so intensely, making the elegant purity of the palate a wonderful segue. The glowing acidity is in perfect harmony with the supple texture creating a persistent and dynamic flow that gives the sensation of wine dancing in the glass. Often the cooler growing seasons capture the true essence of Gibbston – this vintage articulates the poise, grace, and uniqueness of Pinot Noir from this tiny subregion, when words simply fall short.  Drink now until 2033."

Rated Outstanding & 96/100 Cameron Douglas MS, June 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Complex and seductive bouquet with scents of fallen leaves and dried wild herbs, roses and cherries, mineral and spiced with oak and a savoury quality. Even better on the palate – texture and barrel spices, a gentle savoury herb quality, some vanilla nd dusty clove spices and a leesy nutty quality. Complex and lengthy. Chalky textured tannins and medium+ acidity set the foundation while layers of red berries and wild flowers layer in breadth and depth. Delicious, complex and ready to enjoy from 2023 through 2030+."

4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper (2020 Vintage)
"The fragrant, savoury 2020 vintage is a ruby hued, vigorous red with very good depth of cherry, herb and spice flavours, woven with fresh acidity, oak-aging complexity and supple tannins. Best drinking mid-2023+."

Reviews for the 2019 vintage below…

5 Stars & 98/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, May 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Elegant and refined, yet concentrated and persistent, the wine shows sweet cherry, dried herb, clove and subtle game characters on the nose, leading to a finely flowing palate that’s ripe and spicy. Seamlessly structured by polished tannins, finishing supremely long and engaging. At its best: 2023 to 2031."

94/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review (2019 Vintage)
"Light, supple pinot noir with cherry, fresh herbs, spice and integrated nutty oak flavours. A fine-grained, smooth-textured wine with typical Gibbston vibrant, tangy, high-energy cool-climate characters Drink 2021 to 2028."

95/100 James Suckling (2019 Vintage)
"Such attractive, fragrant complexity here with bright strawberries, red cherries and spice, as well as a leafy edge and wild herbs. Some pepper, too. The palate has striking elegance with piercing acidity and flavours of yellow clingstone peach, nectarine and red plum. Smooth-honed, long and plush tannins."

94/100 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (2019 Vintage)
"The medium to full-bodied 2019 Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir (from the winery’s home vineyard) is again a top performer. Complex aromas of pencil shavings, wild herbs, root vegetables and Bing cherries all make appearances, while the tannins are exquisitely balanced and supple, the fruit concentrated and ripe, and the finish long and mouthwatering. Expect this beauty to drink well for a decade, perhaps even longer."

19.5/20 (98) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, May 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"Moderate, even ruby-red, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is elegantly full, nuances of red cherries, strawberries entwined with sweet basil, thyme, followed by rose petals, and game with a savoury edge. Medium-bodied, aromas of red cherries, strawberries with a touch of sour cherries, followed by herbaceous thyme, sweet basil and red liquorice. Floral presence found its way amongst game and earthy savouriness. Cinnamon, nutmeg dusting and fruit linger to a long, sleek finish. Dusty tannin has a chewy texture, provide some grip to a lively acid line. This is an elegant and fragrant Pinot Noir with red fruit, delicate complexity and a savoury edge. Match with roasted duck and braised pork belly over the next 12+ years. Fruit sourced from Gibbston, fermented with 25% whole bunch to 13% alc, aged in French oak for 11 months, 30% new oak."