Available for Purchase
2018 Dry River Pinot Noir
Est. range:
Private Sale- priced per LOT inc. GST (if applicable) and commission.
97/100 Points -Vinous, Rebecca Gibb MW
One of the most charming and gentle expressions of Martinborough Pinot Noir you’ll find, with its depth of fruit akin to holding a heavy ball in the palm of your hand, such is its mid palate weight. There’s an abundance of tannins, but they are as resolved as tannins get, lightly coating the palate. The acidity provides freshness and precision, giving the wine length and shape. A very complete wine. Drink 2021 – 30. .
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The 2018 Dry River Pinot Noir from Martinborough, New Zealand, is a well-regarded, complex wine from a warm vintage, known for its fresh red fruits (cherries, plums), spicy notes (clove, rose), earthy tones (forest floor, soil), and balanced structure with chalky tannins, recommended for drinking now through 2034, though it's un-fined, unfiltered, and may form sediment.
- Unfined & Unfiltered: To protect aromatics, the wine was left un-fined and unfiltered, so expect some sedimen
Tasting Notes
- Aromas: Complex nose with red cherries, herbs, forest floor, roses, and woody spice.
- Palate: Plush feel with bright acidity, red berries, plums, and layers of oak and spice.
- Structure: Medium+ acidity, chalky tannins, and a youthful core
Reviews & Drinking Window
- Scores: Received high scores, with Cameron Douglas MS giving 95/100 and Jancis Robinson 92/100.
- Drinking: Recommended to drink from 2024-2034, with early drinking revealing more fruit and later drinking bringing out tertiary notes. Decanting is suggested.
In Summary
The 2018 was recorded as one of the warmest on record, very much like the 1998, which is now praised as a high-quality vintage. We experienced a humid January and early February, with warm nights. With this in mind we decided to commence picking early, with the Pinot Noir all picked within 6 days. The early harvest prevented loss of acidity and too overt and dark character; in other words, we were able to maintain fresh and pretty characters. Like all our other 2018 wines, the vintage brought warmth, generosity and stamina.
We expect this wine to gain further interest over the next ten years.
Please note this wine has been un-fined and unfiltered in order to safeguard aromatics and structure. Therefore a deposit might form in the bottom of the bottle.
There is a light charred oak note present, easily confused with toasted almonds. Flowery scents like cherry blossom, violets and Christmas lilies are combined with plums, boysenberry and liquorice. Immediately the nose reveals this to be a serious wine: very coherent with rapidly expanding boundaries bringing aromatic volume.
The palate, too, has an escalating horizon and an inflating edge; it’s simply delicious, with well-rounded tannins. Initially there is a juicy, plush elegance, with the tannins claiming a more authoritative and luxurious presence, showing off its class and flamboyance. The mid-palate brings the wine back to earth with a grounding acidity that reigns the wine in again without overpowering the fruit weight. It is just enough to bring life again to the floral and lighter fruit aromatics, to highlight the central core and to show the length and smooth finish on the back palate. This is a thought-provoking wine that occupies all spaces and has aroused our excitement tremendously.
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