Winemaker Notes
The schist soils of Block 2 from the Elms Vineyard undoubtedly assist in setting the scene for this commanding and mineral infused Dry Riesling. Nashi pear, talc and floral notes dominate the bouquet. Notable weight and power through the mid-palate provides grandeur with racy acidity which freshens and tightens, leading to a sustained and impressive finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lifted aromas of strawberries, cherries and orange peel. The palate is pure with finely integrated tannins and bright acidity, giving notes of raspberries, dried herbs, wet bark and cedar. Very tightly wound with a high tension that will unravel in years to come. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
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Jasper Morris
New oak is immediately evident on the nose with the dark berry fruit playing a supporting role. The firm layer of tannins together with the oak gives a palate that is structured and firm. Less polished and more edgy than the Block wines. Alcohol 13.50%. Drink from 2027-2032. Tasted Nov 2024.
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Calvert is a herbal, scented expression that gives the sense you've just crushed a bouquet garni. It's full, concentrated and sumptuous with ripe black cherries, raspberries and cream. Like other 2023s, this has a richness of tannin and exceptional acidity, coating the palate satisfyingly and providing texture and assurance on the long, spiced finish.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to the globe’s most southerly vineyards, which are cultivated below the 45th parallel, Central Otago is a true one-of-a-kind wine growing region, but not only because of its extreme location.
Central Otago is more dependent on one single variety than any other region in New Zealand—and it isn’t Sauvignon blanc. They don’t even make Sauvignon blanc there.
Pinot Noir claims nearly 75% of the region’s vineyards with Pinot Gris coming in a far second place and Riesling behind it. This is also New Zealand’s only wine region with a continental climate, giving it more diurnal and seasonal temperature shifts than any other.
The subregion of Bannockburn has enjoyed the most success historically but the area’s exceptional growth has moved to the promising regions of Cromwell/Bendigo and Alexandra districts. Central Otago is known for its fruity and full-bodied Pinot noir. With the freedom to experiment here, growers and winemakers are easily exhibiting the area’s great potential.