Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir 2020

Season summary
Spring and early summer were warm and dry resulting in good floweringand crops. From Christmas through to harvest, we experienced very warm, dry and settled weather resulting in beautifully ripe, clean fruit at harvest.

Tasting note
Ruby/garnet hue. Indurate spices, ripe and bright red fruits of raspberry, redcurrant, Morello cherry swell from the glass. Soft and silky, the wine glides across the palate with vibrant flavours of red fruit, and a saline spicy complexity. A pure vibrant expression of Angel Flower.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. A beautiful, very steep, north-facing block. Coarse, shallow soils that enhance the aromatics; 15% clay, 5-10% active lime. Harvest dates: 25 March - 3 April 2020.

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with yeasts from the vineyard, gently fermented using infusion methods for 21-27 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden cuves and barrel. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

James Suckling - 97 points

Top 100 wines of New Zealand

A hint of reduction on the nose blows off to reveal lovely
aromas of fresh red cherries, strawberries, rosemary and
violet. Then orange peel and fresh mint. Changes all the
time. Medium- to full-bodied with silky, tightly knit
tannins. Juicy and fresh on the palate. Showing complexity
and verve with subtle intensity and length. So pretty right
now. This will age nicely.

Matthew Jukes : 19+/20

Wow, wow, wow. The label depicts yarrow or angel flower – found growing wild in the vineyard. And yet, ‘angel flower’ could be a two-word descriptor for this sensational wine. Coming from a north-facing slope, with a little more clay and a little less limestone, this is an earlier ripening vineyard, and I found the nose captivating. While this is a Pinot through and through, my mind kept giving me Barbaresco flashbacks, such is the exoticism and complexity of the perfume. This wine has the definition of an ‘aerial nose’, which might sound trite, but it almost immediately becomes part of the air above and around the glass and it seems not to fade. It grows, and you can taste it by inhaling it – this is a remarkably aromatic wine. The fruit and flower notes are captivating, and in common with the Chardonnays, the texture is epic, ethereal, super-long and refined. The acidity teases at your cheeks, and the stunning tannins rake the palate into purple and red furrows.