One of the most charming and gentle expressions of Martinborough Pinot Noir you'll find, with its depth of fruit akin to holding a heavy ball in the palm of your hand, such is its midpalate weight. There's an abundance of tannins, but they are as resolved as tannins get, lightly coating the palate. The fruit was picked a little earlier than usual due to the warmth of the season in a bid to preserve tension and also keep the alcohol level at a very reasonable 13%. The acidity provides freshness and precision, giving the wine length and shape. While primary fruit is not front and center, on the finish it blossoms, offering cherries, cinnamon and clove spice. A very complete wine.
Like all our other 2018 wines, the vintage brought warmth, generosity and stamina. There is a light charred oak note present, easily confused with toasted almonds. Flowery scents like cherry blossom, violets and Christmas lilies are combined with plums, boysenberry and liquorice. Immediately the nose reveals this to be a serious wine: very coherent with rapidly expanding boundaries bringing aromatic volume. The palate, too, has an escalating horizon and an inflating edge; it's simply delicious, with well-rounded tannins. Initially there is a juicy, plush elegance, with the tannins claiming a more authoritative and luxurious presence, showing off its class and flamboyance. The mid-palate brings the wine back to earth with grounding acidity that reigns the wine in again without overpowering the fruit weight. It is just enough to bring life again to the floral and lighter fruit aromatics, to highlight the central core and to show the length and smooth finish on the back palate.
97 points Rebecca Gibb MW vinous.com Mar 2021 Drink 2021 - 2030
Smoky, savoury, lots of pure red berry fruits aromas, clove and baking spices, roses and silty soil scents; complex. On the palate - flavours of plums and raspberry, macerated cherry and roses. Layers of new oak and baking spices begin to weave through the palate with medium+ chalky textured tannins, medium+ acidity and a youthful core of energy. Well made, classic Dry River, very youthful and quite complex, lengthy detailed finish, a delight to taste. Decant for service or wait till 2022 and through 2026.+ to enjoy at its best. Rating: 95 Points; Cameron Douglas
ABOUT `DRY RIVER`
The name Dry River carries an historical significance as the name of one of the earliest Wairarapa sheep stations (ca. 1877). This was later sold off by the Seddon government and renamed Dyerville, leaving the renamed Waihora River (circa 1900) and the renamed Dyerville Rd (1994) - both after Dry River - as the only reminders of this part of our pastoral farming history. In 1979 Neil and Dawn McCallum planted a vineyard a few kilometres from Dyerville in a very dry, gravely and free-draining area now called the 'Martinborough Terrace' and they took the name Dry River for the vineyard and wines in what was to become another chapter of Martinborough's farming history. Their dream was to produce individual, high quality regional wines which faithfully reflect the 'terroir', vintage and are suitable for cellaring.
