From the North Canterbury pioneers – and their vineyards oldest ungrafted vines – a wine only made in exceptional years. A dark ruby colour in the glass, with a powerful perfume – you can smell this being opened from across the table. Black cherry, blueberry, charry oak, rosehip, popcorn and plum. As many savoury flavours as there are ripe fruity ones – peat, smoked charcuterie and mushroom. Acidity is verdant and flowing through the palate, meeting up with that rich oak and some firm tannin as a backbone. Quite concentrated and brooding, but the wine does open out after a few minutes, and layers of complexity unfurl. A ‘grand’ wine – deserving of its Reserve status. 95pts
Pegasus Bay ‘Prima Donna’ Pinot Noir 2013
