Central Otago Pinot Noir

I've been looking for a quality PN from New Zealand's Central Otago region for some time, but New Hampshire is just about on the other side of the world, and it seems to get consumed before it gets here. I've now acquired one bottle of 2005 and three bottles of 2006 Amisfield Pinot Noir. the former got high marks in WS, and was ranked #22 in the world (if that really means anything). Anybody had any of this and care to share thoughts?

Not tasted the wines myself, but the NZ critic Michael Cooper seems to rate the 06 highly and also upping his general opinion.

He also shows a decent drinking window for the wines (up to 2012 for the 05 and 2015 for the 06).

Hopefully Sue/Neil will have tasted them and can give a 1st hand view. Also worth checking geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz to see if he's tasted it.

regards

Ian

the former got high marks in WS, and was ranked #22 in the world (if that really means anything)

The 22nd best Pinot Noir in the world doesn't come from NZ..................................IMO.

Geoff Kelly is good source of notes on NZ Pinot, but he has only tasted the 2003 and 2004 Amisfield PN. Some of his Pinot notes are here. One of the better Otago wines and available here in San Diego is the basic Felton Road Pinot. We had a bottle of the 2005 last week and it really is a nice drop - I'd say top 21st in the world!

Mike

Not tasted the wines myself, but the NZ critic Michael Cooper seems to rate the 06 highly and also upping his general opinion.

He also shows a decent drinking window for the wines (up to 2012 for the 05 and 2015 for the 06).

Hopefully Sue/Neil will have tasted them and can give a 1st hand view. Also worth checking geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz to see if he's tasted it.

regards

Ian

With the revered WS, Michael Cooper and Geoff Kelly ratings available, do our views matter
Actually I haven't tasted the 2006 Amisfield.

There are some super wines coming out of Central Otago in 2006, but it depends on what you like. Some are super fruity and generous right from the start. Others seem a little awkward at first but unfold beautifully to reveal more intracacies than you could imagine with a gorgeously expansive finish. Others can be a little stalky. But I haven't found a really bad Central Otago pinot noir lately.

You have to remembers there are a lot of producers in Central Otago - some like Felton Road and Amisfeld do everything themselves with the greatest attention to everything both in the vineyard and in the winery. Others do the viticulture themselves, or have consultant viticulturists and the wine is made in one of the large processing facilities, either VinPro or Central Otago Wine Company (aka COWCo, owned by Sam Neil).

My Pinot Noir notes (sorry no scores) are here.

Cheers,
Sue

Not tasted the wines myself, but the NZ critic Michael Cooper seems to rate the 06 highly and also upping his general opinion.

He also shows a decent drinking window for the wines (up to 2012 for the 05 and 2015 for the 06).

Hopefully Sue/Neil will have tasted them and can give a 1st hand view. Also worth checking geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz to see if he's tasted it.

regards

Ian

With the revered WS, Michael Cooper and Geoff Kelly ratings available, do our views matter
Cheers,
Sue

Oh no! I certainly didn't mean to offend you or Neil

Apologies if I did, and quite the opposite of my intention. More that it wouldn't feel right quoting you, when you're likely to post anyway and a 1st hand view is preferable. I guess I could have posted a link to your site, but we all know where you (electronically) live!

Anyway, sorry again if my words came out wrong.

regards

Ian

With the revered WS, Michael Cooper and Geoff Kelly ratings available, do our views matter
Cheers,
Sue

Oh no! I certainly didn't mean to offend you or Neil

Apologies if I did, and quite the opposite of my intention. More that it wouldn't feel right quoting you, when you're likely to post anyway and a 1st hand view is preferable. I guess I could have posted a link to your site, but we all know where you (electronically) live!

Anyway, sorry again if my words came out wrong.

regards

Ian

Heck no, Ian. I appreciated the mention. Thanks heaps.
Must have got out of bed on the wrong side this morning.

BTW - Michael Cooper's drinking windows come from the producer, according to the 'How to use this Book' section in his book.

Cheers,
Sue

I've been looking for a quality PN from New Zealand's Central Otago region for some time, but New Hampshire is just about on the other side of the world, and it seems to get consumed before it gets here. I've now acquired one bottle of 2005 and three bottles of 2006 Amisfield Pinot Noir. the former got high marks in WS, and was ranked #22 in the world (if that really means anything). Anybody had any of this and care to share thoughts?

OK,
Here are my notes on the 2005.

Amisfield Central Otago Pinot Noir 2005
Medium Burgundy-red in colour, not quite opaque. Smoky, savoury and a little earthy on the nose, it has an increasing vinous richness and power to the fine-textured palate with bitter cherry and cranberry fruit, hints of chocolate, earth and spice and a persistence of savoury cherry flavour.
Screwcap closure. 13.9% alcohol stated on the label. Tasted December 2007.

Regards,
Sue

I drank a bottle of the 2006 Amisfield last night. Quite impressive, though at this stage to say it's awkward or tight is an understatement. I knew the Pinot fruit was there, somewhere. but the taut, cedery tannins wouldn't let go. However, the wine reminded me of Josh Jensen's young vine Pinots from Calera, especially his Selleck vineyard, from the mid 80's. Bill Hooper is right, of course, about the 2005 Amisfield not being the #22 Pinot Noir in the world, as WS didn't bother to include any '05 Burgundy in the list. Jacques Lardière alone probably made more that 22 red Burgundies that are... or will be... greater in 2005. But that's another story. The '06 Amisfield indeed shows great promise; it was, for all intents and purposes, a tight, very youthful Burgundy. It had no Flowery overtones, as many of the California/Sideways wines do, and none of the flabbiness that makes too many Oregon Pinots drinkable before their time. The dark cherry and plum tones were hidden, but there. I hope I live long enough to see what it tastes like when properly aged. Thanks for the comments to you folks in NZ who get to buy such great wine made in the neighborhood. I envy you.

..... However, the wine reminded me of Josh Jensen's young vine Pinots from Calera, especially his Selleck vineyard, from the mid 80's. .....

Have you tried any of the Muddy Water wines from Waipara, New Zealand? Winemaker Belinda Gould worked at Calera for a while.

Sue,
Since I live in Canterbury, New Hampshire, which has no vineyards or wineries, i have brought home a few Canterbury, NZ wines when they have crossed my path. The most outstanding was a Giesen Pinot Noir, which also was young and tight. I remember that it opened in the glass quite nicely, and showed very great promise. I thought it was in the 86-89 range, and would likely mature at about six years of age. Unfortunately, I drank it all in an evening at age 2 1/2, a mere toddler.
The NZ SB from Giesen is nice, but rather ordinary. I gather it's their basic bottling. Muddy Waters is somewhere in that neck of the woods, I think, but I don't remember seeing it here. A check of the Product Locator at the NH Liquor Commission suggests that we may have had a case, but it's all gone
As I said before, a lot of wine gets off the bus before reaching the end of the line here in the North Woods.
Anyway, I'm going to put my Three Bottles of Amisifield PN down with my 2005 Burgundies, and see what they are like when they are all grown up.

I sell retail here in Oregon. On Monday I took the train to Seattle for the New Zealand Winegrowers Showcase tasting. Our train ride was about 4 hours and the tasting was only about 8 blocks from the train station. It was sunny and 65 degrees. This tasting was set up by varietal. I went for the first time last year. So you start out with about 40 Sauvignon Blancs. Then on to the Chardonnays and then the aromatics. The last tables were for the Pinot Noirs. The only other red there was a Syrah from Babich in Hawkes Bay. At this tasting they only had 4 Central Otago Pinots. For me the best was from Wild Earth2006. It seemed to show much more complexity than the Mt. Difficulty 2006. For Marlborough my favorites were the
Cable Bay 2006 and the Staete Landt 2006. As I sell many Pinots from Oregon it was very nice to see how well priced these Pinots were compared to many Oregon Pinots. I really like the flavors and profiles I find.