2007 Calvert Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The exquisite 2007 Calvert Pinot Noir displays immense purity and definition on the nose, blackberry leaf and raspberry with a touch of smoke. There is a real succulence on the palate, lovely flesh texture, good acidity, ripe raspberry, wild strawberry and red cherry. Primal but very expressive and it should age gracefully. I met proprietor Nigel Greening in London back in 2008 for a first peek at his new releases just before he moved permanently to New Zealand and then re-tasted some of the wines in Central Otago during the Pinot Noir Celebration and again at regional tastings. As expected, winemaker Blair Walter continues to produce a very Burgundian style of Pinot Noir that prioritizes elegance and finesse over power and concentration. Although their Pinot Noirs hog the limelight (deservedly so), their excellent Chardonnay and Rieslings should not be ignored. Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd., St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661; fax (707) 963-8566.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
First bottled vintage from the Calvert vineyard, whose fruit is currently sold to Craggy Range and Pyramid Valley as well as Felton Road, was 2006 though they have been monitoring it since 2002. They expect it to be bottled May. Very big, intense and rather ‘American’ boldness on the nose. Very sweet and rich on the front palate with strong cherry flavours – not quite root beer but pretty flashy, distinctive stuff. Dry finish. (JR)
Good deep red. Brooding aromas of dark raspberry, flowers, minerals and smoky dark chocolate. Wonderfully sweet and seductive on the palate, with an essence-of-pinot character verging on confectionery. Amazingly silky and tactile for New Zealand pinot but maintains terrific lift and life. Finishes very broad and long, with a lingering, highly perfumed sweetness and very fine tannins. With extended aeration, this showed a stronger element of almost candied red fruits. (An earlier sample showed a similarly rich texture but was a bit less expressive.)