2006 Cornish Point Pinot Noir

The 2006 Cornish Point Vineyard Pinot Noir is more muted on the nose which is imbued with a dusty, slightly savory quality with a touch of plum jam, the palate silky smooth upon entry with its grainy tannins becoming more apparent towards the sensuous finish with notes of wild strawberry and raspberry. It is very focused and harmonious, a joy to drink. New Zealand wine does not get much better than the coveted Block 3 and Block 5 Pinot Noirs although opinion seems to be split as to which is better. Feted as one of New Zealand’s best producers and justifiably so, in my opinion, for time and time again Felton Road’s wines triumph against all-comers. Located in Bannockburn, Central Otago, its vineyards nestle on a gentle north-facing slope between 200m and 335m and overshadowed by 2,000m mountains, their micro-climate benefits from low humidity, wide diurnal temperature variation and high sunshine hours. Although not yet certified, winemaker Blair Walter told me that they apply biodynamics to all the vineyards and benefit from a three-tier, gravity-flow winery and use wild yeasts as standard. I tasted their current portfolio at the winery with many turning up in blind tastings, as well as a comprehensive Block 3 vertical that will appear separately. The Pinots usually include some whole bunches depending upon the vintage, fermented in small open-top vessels and matured in oak of which around 30% is new. They mature for between 12 and 18 months and are bottled without fining or filtering. “Calvert” is a joint-venture with the fruit shared by Pyramid Valley Estate and Craggy Range Importer: Wilson Daniels Ltd, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661, fax: (707) 963-8566