A wine from North Canterbury – made by the original owners Mike and Claudia Weersing. As the label informs: “Raised by hand and foot, palate and mind. No commercial yeasts, bacteria, enzymes, not finings or filtration are permitted”. In every sense, this is ‘natural winemaking’ – hand-made and unfiltered. An opaque, dark burgundy/terracotta colour in the glass. Fragranced with elderberry, mushroom, cherry, peat, raspberry, incense and rose petal florals on the nose. In a great spot after a dozen years in bottle, this is a wine that has movement and evolution as you watch it open up from a slumber in the bottle. Acidity is keen and saline, forming a tight core with the supple, chalky tannin. Savoury notes of beet, earth, graphite and tapenade emerge, entwined with the plush fruit and highlighted with a lightly spicy element. A plush harmony to the finish, dry and concentrated. Although it is one from the history books, New Zealand Pinot really doesn’t get much better than this. 97pts
Pyramid Valley ‘Angel Flower’ Pinot Noir 2010
