2008 Dry River Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Pinot Noir is 15 years old, and the wine remains a vibrant ruby color in the glass. On the nose, the aromas are saturated with red berries and exotic spice, with hints of bone broth, pomegranate molasses and white flowers. There's no more than 30% whole bunch, and it sits well within the wine. It's a gentle, soft, fragrant wine with perfume and detail in every step. So nice. It's the perfect example of a drinking window that has been smashed by the wine; the previous drinking window ascribes 2016 as the end date—and this has a decade or more left. Gentle tannins are wrapped around a core of pure, clear, sweet fruit. Pleasure! The wine's pH is 3.3, and there were no punch-downs during ferment, with daily pump-overs. 12.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Small crop and Neil always loved it for its potential. Pretty and juicy and even a little loose by now. Not the flavours of burgundy but nice balance and nice tight structure as well as undertow of forest-floor flavours. Not that fruity but very interesting and nicely balanced. LOVELY WINE. (JR)
Mid garnet. Gentle, spicy and quite dark fruit. Fairly closed on the nose. Then lovely fine density on the palate. Exceptionally smooth and silky even now. More freshness of red fruit coming through on the palate. Sweet but not overly so and oak very restrained. Easy to drink now but there's a lot more to come. (JH)