Half Acre Pinot Noir 2016

This grapes in this wine were grown in Lyttelton, which is halfway down the South Island on the east coast of New Zealand. It’s a far flung place for growing fruit, even from the nearby city of Christchurch city, whose residents look north rather than east for the best local produce, but it is a beautiful getaway and a surprisingly successful one for the small Half Acre Vineyard, on the south of Lyttelton Harbour crater. This is the source of the Pinot Noir grapes in this wine. They growing facing north where they are drenched in sun on the warm slopes of a vineyard first planted in 2000. It’s an outstanding wine; revealing the earthy, mushroomy, dark cherry character of Canterbury Pinot Noirs; its medium body and firm acidity add freshness to the beautiful ripe fruit flavours in this wine. The name comes from the original buoy that marked the entrance to this harbour. Joelle Thomson, RNZ Radio wine commentator

It is impressively fruited and delightfully fragrant on the nose showing spiced cherry, blueberry compote, violet, thyme and toasted almond characters. The palate delivers excellent concentration and weight, brilliantly enhanced by lovely fruit purity and rounded mouthfeel. Richly fruited and attractively savoury at the same time. At its best: now to 2022.94 points. 5 Stars. Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, January 2018.

The Half Acre vineyard grows on a north-facing, sun-soaked site located on the southern flank of Lyttleton Harbour. Vibrant wild berry and hedgerow aromas lead to a palate awash with spice and smoky notes. The tannins have grip which get the saliva glands going and it’s long, long, long on the finish. 4 stars. Yvonne Lorkin – Winefriend.

Even, purple-hued ruby-red colour, lighter on the edge. The nose is a little restrained with tightly bound and delicate fruit aromas of dark-red berry fruit entwined with hints of blackberries and black plums, along with subtle spicy oak, unfolding an amalgam of raspberry liqueur and violet florals. Medium-full bodied, the palate is elegantly proportioned with a refined and well-bound core of dark-red and black-berried fruits. Flavours of liquorice, dark herbs and violet florals add interest and detail. The palate possesses very fine-grained tannin extraction and structure, and the wine carries smoothly along a velvety line, leading to a long, lingering finish. This is an elegant and refined, concentrated Pinot Noir with ripe dark-red and black fruits with violet florals on a fine-grained, linear palate. Match with poultry and pork dishes over the next 6+ years. Fruit from the ‘Half Acre’ vineyard, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 25% new French oak. 18.0+/20. Raymond Chan Wine Reviews – January 2018.