2023 Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir

97 pts
Intense and dramatic single vineyard Pinot Noir from this outstanding biodynamic producer in Waipara, NZ.

Price:
Sale price$179.00
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In stock, ready to ship
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Description

The Earth Smoke vineyard is named for the small magenta-flowered weed that grows on this particular block of the Pyramid Valley Vineyard.

The heavier soils on this part of the site produce a Pinot Noir with more weight and structure than the Angel Flower block.

It's a powerful wine, ripped in tannin and incredibly expressive. It's a wine that takes its time to unfurl in the glass, fruit, earth and floral tones all slowly revealing themselves.

It's a dazzling drinking experience. Invariably an exquisite Pinot Noir that can hold its own against the finest in the world.

97 points
"In other circumstances this wine would command every inch on this page to sing its praises. It’s among the best pinots I’ve tasted all year."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)

Nick Ryan

Nick Ryan

The Weekend Australian 97 Points

In other circumstances this wine would command every inch on this page to sing its praises. It’s among the best pinots I’ve tasted all year. A harvest diminished by frost has delivered great complexity, if not quantity. Sour cherries, wild berries and dried porcini, tightening through a fine, granular finish dusted with exotic spice.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. An expansive, east-facing slope. Strong, beautifully structured soils; 30% clay, 15% active lime.

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with yeasts from the vineyard, gently fermented using infusion methods for 25 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden barrels. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting notes
Vibrant garnet with exceptional clarity. The nose has brooding aromas of savoury dark fruits, spicy complexity and florals. The palate is dense and compact, with a core of umami raspberries and a savoury, resinous complexity surrounded by soft, fine tannins and a saline, palate-activating structure. A pure, vibrant, and expansive expression of Earth Smoke.

Price Bracket $101 and Above
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country New Zealand
Region Waipara
Feature Biodynamic
High Score
Organic
Reviewed By The Australian
Critic Score 97
Size 750ml
Vintage 2023
Closure Cork

Pyramid Valley

In the year 2000, Mike and Claudia Elze Weersing found the patch of earth they'd been searching 15 years for.

With a background in winemaking from Burgundy and vintages of experience from some of Europe's finest cellars, Mike knew what he wanted in a vineyard site. With Claudia by his side, they set about planting a biodynamic Garden of Eden from the ground up.

They planted four blocks, half Pinot Noir, half Chardonnay, on the slopes of Pyramid Valley in the South Island.

In 2017 the baton was passed to friends Steve Smith (of Craggy Range renown) and Brian Sheth, who took over the ownership of Pyramid Valley, to further develop this extraordinary legacy. One of their first developments was to extend the Pyramid Valley range to a magnificent winery in Central Otago.

These are some of the most compelling and individual wines in all of New Zealand that have deservedly received much critical acclaim.

The stunning Pyramid Valley Vineyard - Canterbury, NZ Pyramid Valley

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