Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir 2014

Very pure, elegant pinot noir that delivers power with consummate subtlety. Red cherry, raspberry, violet and mineral underpinned by spicy French oak. A thoroughly seductive wine that can be appreciated now but has plenty of cellaring potential.

Has that heightened aromatic profile that great pinot noir can get, perfumed, rich cherry fruit, mahogany wood back notes, fine spice detail, faint whiff of dried herbs and undergrowth. Brooding power beckons. Savoury tannin drives the wine, dark, juicy fruit swirls, but its the twiggy, briary tannins that are the take home. Structure, firmness, then that flicker of pretty. It’s drinking superbly but you know this will age wonderfully too. Let it unfurl.”

Medium to deep red colour with a tinge of purple. There are dark cherry aromas without too much whole-bunch character. It's full and rounded, rich and deep. The texture is silky-soft and although it doesn't lack tannin, the tannins are like velvet. In amongst the sousbois there is a touch of TCA cork taint, but the wine shines through. Another bottle (with a different cork) might score even higher. (The next day the TCA was much worse)

Violets and black tea leaves on the nose with slightly baked sweet fruit in a somewhat prosaic character. Fruit cake and high acid line, chalky tannins.

Dark ruby-red colour with moderate depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is refined in expression with firmly concentrated aromas of dark red berry fruits and black cherries harmoniously melded of soft, complexing layers of dried herbs and whole cluster stalk perfumes. The aromatics build in depth and intensity, unveiling dark-red florals, dark plums and earthy detail. Medium-full bodied, the palate features rich and lusciously sweet, ripe fruit flavours of dark-red berry fruits integrated with savoury, earthy plums to form a tightly packed and deep heart. The mouthfeel is soft, plush and seamless in texture with refined structure and grip. Layers of savoury dark herbs and whole cluster stalk complexities unfold to provide considerable interest. Some underlying alcoholic power carries the rich fruit, withripe acidity lending roundness. The wine leads to a softly concentrated, gently lingering finish of savoury detail. This is a soft, plush, seamless and sweetly rich Pinot Noir with dark red berry and plum fruit with complex whole bunch complexities. Serve with casseroles and game meat dishes over the next 6-8+ years. 60% clone 114, 25% Abel and 15% 667 from the ‘Te Muna Road’ vineyard, hand-picked and indigenous yeast fermented with 50% whole clusters to 13.8% alc., the wine spending 18-25 days on skins, and aged 10 months in 30% new French oak barriques