New Zealand Pinot Noir

95 Points – Bob Campbell

Felton Road's entry level pinot noir is an elegant blend of several vineyards with a mix of savoury, earthy, herbal and coffee flavours with cherry, floral and spice characters. It's a supple and complex wine that reveals power through a lengthy finish.

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey

18.5+ Points - Raymond Chan

Full, even, very dark ruby-red colour with black-purple hues, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is tightly bound and expressed with elegance of proportion, the fruit pronounced in fragrant dark-red and black cherry and berry aromas, along with dark-red florals and subtle, complexing herbal notes...

366 cases produced.  

19 Points - Raymond Chan

Even, dark ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim. This has a very fine and intensely concentrated, tightly bound nose of fragrant and aromatically piquant dark raspberry and cherry fruit lifted by black and dark-red florals and entwined with dark thyme herb and whole bunch stalk complexities, and nuances of black minerals. Medium-full bodied, the flavours of savoury dark raspberry fruit are interwoven with dark thyme herbs, dark red and violet florals and savoury whole...

18 Points - Raymond Chan

We are delighted to introduce Akitu’s fourth vintage with production levels reaching a modest 430 cases, which translates to a little more for our customers. Their inaugural vintage (2012) produced a tiny 325 cases and sold-out within a matter of weeks.

Bob Campbell

Fine and slightly edgy Pinot Noir with plum, red cherry, spice and dried herb flavours. Less robust and perhaps more varietal than usual. The wine has a good structure of fine tannins and acidity that suggest good cellaring potential.

95 Points - Bob Campbell "Appealing aromatic pinot noir with cherry, violet, chalky mineral flavours together with a subtle seasoning of fresh herbs. Elegant wine with purity and poise."

94 Points - James Suckling "The Old Weka Pass Road pinot from the 2013 vintage is very much reflective of the same DNA seen in the Bell Hill bottling from the same vintage, but only a lighter and more transparent rendering. It delivers redder cherry-fruit aromas, and is quite fragrant and pure, but less of the darker fruits and swanky oak-derived overtones. The palate's fine, elegant and focused with a core of bright and crunchy red cherries. Quite elegant and refreshing. The texture is chalky, supported by tannins that hold a linear shape and an almost crunchy edge. Drink now to 2020."

An intensely perfumed nose that’s dominated by floral notes in the typical Calvert expression. Rose and violet give way to underlying blueberry and plum with background hints of leather and polished wood. The power of the fruit is considerable but the overall mouthfeel is characteristically refined, precise and detailed. The linear nature of the tannins brings a pleasing tautness and purpose. As accurate and fulfilling as we could ever imagine it to be.

18 Points - Raymond Chan "Light, even ruby-red colour with slight garnet-purple hues, lighter on the rim. This has a softly concentrated and well-packed nose with aromas of savoury dark-red berry and black cherry fruit melded with dark herbs and notes of earth and black minerals, unveiling subtle and harmonious oak and whole bunch stalk detail.  Medium-full bodied, the palate has a well-concentrated core of sweet dark-red and black berried fruit intermixed with dark herb and subtle whole bunch stalk elements, along with black mineral nuances.  The extraction provides balanced, fine-gained tannins and the mouthfeel is enlivened by fresh, balancing, lacy acidity.  This has a good line, leading to a lush, lively finish of red and black fruits and subtle herb notes.  This is a moderately concentrated, sweet, dark-fruited Pinot Noir with moderately extracted, supple tannins and fresh acidity.  Match with poultry and pork dishes over the next 4-5 years  70% Abel clone and 30% clone 5, the fruit fermented with 26% whole bunches to 13.81% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 22% new French oak.  230 dozen made."

99 Points – Bob Campbell

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.