2017 Quartz Reef "Bendigo Estate Single Vineyard" Pinot Noir Central Otago (Biodynamic)
SKU #1419468
95 points
Bob Campbell
Fragrantly aromatic Pinot Noir with ripe cherry, plum, spice and subtle oak flavours. An elegant wine with appealing purity and suppleness. There is also a suggestion of floral character, perhaps red rose? Delicious now but no rush.
(3/2019)
95 points
Decanter
On former gold-mining terrain in the Bendigo sub-region, the vines were planted in 1998 on north-facing slopes of Waenga fine sandy loam, at elevations up to 264 metres. An untypically cool and windy summer resulted in smaller bunches and lower berry weight than normal, though the fruit was nonetheless well ripened and concentrated. Six clones were small-batch vinified, with natural yeast fermentation starting after cold-soaking for up to seven days; after 23 days on the skins, the wine was moved to French oak barriques, 28% new, to age for 12 months with spontaneous malolactic fermentation. After an appealingly bright, jammy fruit nose of redcurrant, raspberry and cherry, the wine manages to strike a balance between both opulence yet somehow restraint on the palate. Its very expressive character steadily reveals layer upon layer of that bright berry-cherry fruit along with dried herbs and soft cedary spice, and it keeps developing through a great-length finish. The price-tag (set to be around £60 in the UK) puts it on a par with a decent entry-level Volnay or Gevrey-Chambertin from Burgundy. Does the ‘organic factor’ justify it? It’s a lovely and very moreish wine in its own right, so that would be in the eye of the beholder. Drinking Window 2020 - 2027 (DL)
(2/2020)
94 points
James Suckling
This is a very good Pinot, delivering a mix of powerful fruit and a focused structure. Violets and ripe red cherries sit amid gently stony, flinty nuances, leading to a palate that has a succulent, lithe and juicy core of vibrant cherries and chalky tannins. Great Pinot. Drink now.
(10/2018)
94 points
Wine Enthusiast
This vintage of renowned biodynamic winemaker Rudi Bauer's single-vineyard Pinot, from the Bendigo subregion is an expressive an dhighly pleasurable drop now, but, like all of his Pinots, also has cellaring potential. Billowing from the glass are plums, blueberries, violets and heaps of baking spice, then more savory, earthy notes of black olives, stones, and a slight sanguine character. The spiciness form both the fruit and the oak, is more prominent on the palate, but combine it with juicy fruit, pristine acidity, and poised, laser-focused tannins and the result is a wine of depth and elegance that speaks of its place. *Editors' Choice* (CP)
(5/2020)
90 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mocha, loam and charred beet root appear on the nose of the 2017 Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. It's a boldly flavored, assertive wine, medium to full-bodied, with silky tannins and crisp acids. From Bendigo, a warm subregion of Central Otago, it's true to winemaker Rudi Bauer's signature style, maybe a touch less tannic than some of his previous efforts but still flavorful, complex and long. (JC)
(7/2019)
Wine Spectator
The blackberry and black cherry flavors are deep and velvety, with notes of black tea, rosemary and dried porcino. Harmonious on the long finish. Drink now through 2028. (MW-Web 2019)
K&L Notes
95 points/5 stars from Huon Hook: "Very good colour and the wine is all-round bright, fresh, clean and lovely. The tannins are softer here than in the past, although it's still highly structured. Tannins are less blocky and the wine less extracted. Delicious pinot; superb quality." (01/19) *biodynamic, organic*
