2024 Sailor Seeks Horse Pinot Noir

96 pts
Seriously stunning small-batch Pinot Noir from one of the hottest wineries in Tasmania.

Price:
Sale price$70.00
Stock:
In stock, ready to ship
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Description

We’ve followed Paul and Gilli Lipscombe's wines since the early days, and while their Huon Valley Pinot is always a highlight of the Tassie calendar, the 2024 vintage is a particularly gripping release. It was a proper "stressful" year in the south - warm and exceptionally dry - which pushed yields down to a tiny two tonnes per hectare. That struggle has translated into a wine with serious presence and a deeper, more structural "vibe" than the ethereal 2023.

In the glass, it’s plush but carries a distinctive sappy, autumnal edge. Think dark cherry and high-toned spice rather than just simple primary fruit. Tasting with Pul, he was surprised how plush this vintage is on release, and we both agreed it will be very popular with long time fans of this label.

There’s a weight and "chalkiness" to the tannin here that feels very well settled and sure of itself. It’s a concentrated Pinot that proves why Sailor Seeks Horse remains at the absolute top of the tree for detailed, site-driven Tasmanian wine.

96 points
"The wine is ethereal and fine, floral, rocky and mineral. This aligns with the personality of the Chardonnay and the reason why this sandstone-laden site is so special. The flavor is intense but light, and this is a great thing... I love the delicacy and poise of this wine. The wines from this producer and vineyard come warmly recommended."
- Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

96 points
"Bright red cherries and raspberries, a pop of pomegranate too. Some dried rose buds and Moroccan spices sprinkled about. A baseline of autumnal leaves crunched underfoot. It’s supple and sinewy, with the deftest touch of sappy grip anchoring it all. Beautifully fine, talcy tannins." - Nick Ryan (The Australian)

96 points - "Bright red cherries and raspberries, a pop of pomegranate too. Some dried rose buds and Moroccan spices sprinkled about. A baseline of autumnal leaves crunched underfoot. It’s supple and sinewy, with the deftest touch of sappy grip anchoring it all. Beautifully fine, talcy tannins." - Nick Ryan (The Australian)

96 points - "The 2024 Pinot Noir is richer and more savory than the Small Wonder Vineyard (the vineyards are in different areas, yet this is cooler), and the wine is ethereal and fine, floral, rocky and mineral. This aligns with the personality of the Chardonnay and the reason why this sandstone-laden site is so special. The flavor is intense but light, and this is a great thing. The tannins are chalky and supple. The fruit sees extended post-ferment maceration, prior to being pressed to oak with full solids sans sulfur. Malolactic fermentation occurs here and is done around mid-winter. I love the delicacy and poise of this wine. The wines from this producer and vineyard come warmly recommended. This was made with 5% whole-bunch fruit and spent months in barrel before being bottled sans fining. 13.4% alcohol, sealed under screw cap." - Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate)

95+ points - "Huon Valley-born pinot noir, 5% whole bunch, 12 months' maturation in French oak, 10% new. This is such a pure-smelling wine. It's all raspberry-flecked red cherry and red plum fruits with a splash of cranberry over hints of souk-like spice, nori sheets, leaf litter, mushroom broth, citrus blossom, pomegranate, crushed stone and charcuterie. Filigreed and nuanced, gorgeous fruit layered with spice, subtle crushed mountain herbs and dried citrus rinds, powdery tannins and a saline mineral line." - Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion)

Customer Reviews

Warm, dry year with yields at 2t/ha. Mainly D2V6 & D5V12 clones, wild ferments, 12 months in barrel, 5% whole bunch, 16% new oak, unfined. High toned spice, drunken cherry, weight, structure, sap.

Price Bracket $51 to $100
Type Red
Body Medium Bodied
Variety Pinot Noir
Country Australia
Region Tasmania
Australian State TAS
Feature Women in Wine
High Score
Reviewed By The Wine Advocate
Halliday Wine Companion
Critic Score 96
Alcohol 13.5%
Size 750ml
Vintage 2024
Closure Screw Cap

Sailor Seeks Horse

Sailor Seeks Horse is one of the Apple Isle's most exciting new producers. It's a husband and wife team behind the scenes, Paul and Gilli Lipscombe.

The Lipscombes produce exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay off their estate vineyard, planted by their own hands, back in 2005. The wines have startling energy to them, with a pinpoint balance of fruit and savoury spice. They are released in perilously small amounts and are never around for long.

With the small cult following the couple have garnered since starting their own label, their wines are now hunted by serious collectors who want to be in on the ground floor.

As Mike Bennie declared with Paul and Gilli's inaugural 2013 Pinot Noir release, "We have here a new star in the making." Tasmanian Pinot and Chardonnay lovers, don't miss these scintillating wines.

Paul and Gilli Lipscombe Sailor Seeks Horse

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