Dry River Pinot Noir 2013

Score:99

Ripe, dense and fairly deep-coloured Pinot Noir with dark-fleshed plum, dark cherry, violet and liquorice flavours plus a hint of rhubarb on the aroma. Clearly a very complex wine that won’t reveal its full potential for a few years yet. I particularly like the wine’s silken texture and almost chewy body. It must surely rate as one of Dry River’s best ever Pinot Noir vintages.

Bob Campbell

Read our Q&A with Wilco Lam of Dry River Wines

The name Dry River has historical significance as one of the earliest sheep stations in Wairarapa, dating back to 1877. The winery was established in 1979 by Dr Neil and Dawn McCallum who sold it to Julien Robertson and Reg Oliver in 2003, Neil remaining as the chief winemaker until he retired in 2011. The vineyards are planted on the Martinborough township border on very arid soils of free draining gravel, a site that had been identified by a friend and soil scientist Dr Derek Milne as having a 30 years record for the lowest rainfall on New Zealand’s north island. This area was limited to a 5 Kilometre radius with the deep, free draining, gravel soils being restricted to an even smaller part of this. By 1986, there were five wineries operating within this tiny, crescent shaped area of land which lay along the edge of the river terrace formed by the Ruamahunga and the Huangarua rivers around 20,000 years ago. The five wineries decided they would like to define and demarcate the terroir with an expectation that the wines produced from here would show similarities in character and a uniqueness that reflects the terroir. From 1986, wines made from within region were given a seal of origin by the Martinborough Winemakers Association and in 1991 was given its own appellation, The Martinborough Terrace Appellation to distinguish it from the other terroirs that were being explored.

At the Southern tip of the North Island and a sub-region of Wairarapa is Martinborough. Known for it’s boutique style of winery, Martinborough’s production is dominated by Pinot Noir characterised by its balance between elegance and intensity, evident in the wines of Devotus and Leung Estate. As well as Pinot Noir, plantings of several other varieties that reach their full potential in Martinborough’s climate are also found including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Viognier and Syrah, producers like Dry River are a great example of the quality these varieties can reach. Martinborough has a semi-maritime climate with coastal breezes coming from the east and shelter within the rain shadow of the Tararua Ranges resulting in a cool, dry climate.