2024 Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Noir

95 pts
A benchmark Pinot Noir from one of Central Otago's most respected names.

Price:
Sale price$57.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

Mt Difficulty has been making its case for Bannockburn Pinot Noir since the late 1990s, and this remains a key wine in its range. The 2024 delivers the depth of fruit and savoury detail that have made the producer such a reliable Central Otago name.

Fruit comes from estate and winery-managed vineyards south of the Kawarau River, across soils ranging from sand and gravel to clay. Low soil fertility and the marked difference between daytime and overnight temperatures help build flavour while retaining freshness.

Dark cherry and plum lead, with raspberry, dried herbs and a little cedar adding interest. Fine tannins give the fruit shape, carrying through to a long, gently spicy finish.

It has plenty to enjoy now, with the concentration and structure to develop over the next decade. For anyone after a generous Central Otago Pinot with a savoury side, Mt Difficulty remains a dependable choice.

95 points
"A focused, linear and balanced pinot noir with red berries, sliced strawberries and baking spices on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. The palate is full of flavor and texture, showing drive and focus. Layered and chiseled, with a long finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap."
- Kevin Davy (James Suckling)

94 points - "A delicious and finely detailed pinot noir from the crew at Mt Difficulty in the subregion of Bannockburn. Magenta/ruby in the glass with floral-flecked cherry and plum fruits, hints of exotic spice, amaro, pomegranate, undergrowth and earth. Juicy and fruitful with layers of spice and stone, fine, silty tannins and plenty of draw to the bow of flavour. Lovely." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

93 points - "Primary and youthful with raspberry, sweet strawberry, cinnamon and anise spice which soaks into the palate with good concentration of flavour. A compact shape and ripe fruit tannins firm up towards something woodier on the finish while remaining densely packed around the mid-palate. Good length and unevolved at present. This will relax in the next year or two" - Stephen Wong (The Real Review)

95 points - "A focused, linear and balanced pinot noir with red berries, sliced strawberries and baking spices on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. The palate is full of flavor and texture, showing drive and focus. Layered and chiseled, with a long finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - Kevin Davy (James Suckling)

Customer Reviews

For a full expression of terroir, we co-fermented different clonal lots from the same vineyard, while keeping vineyards separate. About 75% of our ferments were de-stemmed only; the remaining quarter contained 15-40% whole clusters. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts lasted an average of 7 days with daily punch downs. The wine stayed on skins for a further 7-9 days post-dryness, after which it was pressed off to barrel where it resided on full lees for 12 months. It underwent malolactic fermentation in the spring, was racked out of barrel in late autumn and filtered but not fined prior to bottling.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country New Zealand
Region Central Otago
Feature High Score
Reviewed By Halliday Wine Companion
The Real Review
James Suckling
Critic Score 95
Alcohol 14%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

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Common Questions

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Most wine retailers list at a single-bottle price and then discount 10–15% when you buy six or twelve. We've taken the opposite approach. Since the overwhelming majority of our orders are already 6 bottles or more, our list price is set for the case buyer from the start. There's no inflated single-bottle price to discount down from.

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Put simply: the box discount is already baked into the price.

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