ZEPHYR PINOT NOIR 2021

Given winemaker Ben Glover's interest in Pinot Noir (he was the chair of Pinot Noir NZ 2017) it is no surprise that the quality level of his Zephyr Pinot Noir is very good. As we often take pains to point out, Marlborough Pinot Noir as a whole has improved markedly over the past few years and this, combined with better economies of scale, makes the wines a great value proposition. This wine is a classic case in point. From a densely planted hillside site in the Southern Valleys, this has a good combination of wild berry/cherry flavours and earthy, savouriness. Medium bodied with quite bright flavours, crunchy herbal notes. A easy drinking Pinot Noir with good complexity.

Winery notes (2021 Vintage)
"Bright red / intense cherry with vibrant spice aromas. An unassuming, supple, subtle, a quiet achiever. Delivers clarity to a confusing space – perfume, tension, sinew, length, and above all its willingness to share its talent and class!"

4 Stars Michael Cooper (2021 Vintage)
"The charming 2021 vintage was hand-picked at two sites in the Southern Valleys and matured in French oak casks. Bright ruby, it is a fresh, lively, medium-bodied red, with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, supple and finely textured. Elegant, with lots of youthful drive, it should be at its best mid-2023+."

Reviews for previous vintages below…

Rated Outstanding & 95/100 Cameron Douglas MS, August 2020 (2019 Vintage)
"There’s no mistaking the power and purity of fruit in the bouquet of this wine – raspberry and dark cherry, moments of baking spices and a whisper of toast, plum, rose and red apple. On the palate – an initial silky mouth-feel gives way to a very young wine with a vibrant, tense and engaging package of textures and flavours. Ripe tannins are abundant offering poise and tension. Acidity is also noticeable adding its own messages of freshness and structure. The core on the palate however is in the fruit with flavours that mirror the nose offering contrast to the structure and youthful grip. There’s a decent length and finish suggesting it’s okay to wait till mid 2021 before opening and will cellar well through 2025+."

5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2020 (2019 Vintage)
"Pristine and beautifully fragrant, the wine shows dark plum, sweet cherry, violet, thyme and toasted almond characters. It's splendidly attractive on the palate, delivering excellent fruit intensity and elegant weight combined with fleshy texture and polished tannins, making it refined and graceful. Gorgeously composed and harmonious with a lengthy velvety finish. At its best: now to 2024."

94/100 James Suckling (2019 Vintage)
"This is a very smartly groomed edition with polish and poise at every step. Red cherries and blueberries, some violets and subtly spicy oak all lead to a palate with chiseled and seamless tannins that are well defined and carry fresh, brambly fruit long. Drink or hold. Screw cap."

Rated Excellent, 5 Stars & 93/100 NZ Wine Rater, September 2021 (2019 Vintage)
"A heady, perfumed delight with an attractive, lifted, floral nose, violets, rosehip, cinnamon, crushed herbs, and hints of tar. A restrained, whole bunch influence, a thoughtful wine, concentrated, and youthful, for the long term. The palate is focused, long, and linear with a salivating/crunchy texture, and mouthwatering acidity. One for the cellar."