2015 Quartz Reef "Bendigo Single Vineyard" Pinot Noir Central Otago (Biodynamic)

The 2015 Bendigo Estate Single Ferment Pinot Noir is all Clone 115. Like previous years, it's 20% whole cluster, but the oak regime has been brought back to only 16% new oak. It's a big, voluminous wine, with plenty of black cherry fruit, subtle spice and herb shadings, ample ripe tannin and a long, velvety finish. The Titi (as this year's ferment was nicknamed) is more flattering young than the 2014, but it should be just as long lived. (JC)

Potentially the best-ever release of this wine. I have long admired Rudi's wines at Quartz Reef and elsewhere but this wine has the x-factor. Hailing from a single, steep, Biodynamic certified, hillside vineyard in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago, this wine shows the pedigree and structure would would expect from one of Rudi's wines. However its real allure is the purity of fruit and its exuberance both aromatically and on the palate. This sub-region is known for more masculine, structured wines with dark fruit and formidable tannins, but this wine is so accessible and expressive even as a youngster. The tannins are polished, the fruit is bold with perfectly judged ripeness; hints of mineral and wild thyme add a distinctive sense of place; some exotic spice notes from the French oak maturation add a final touch of class. This is a Pinot that you can WOW people with. It captures the classic elements of Central Otago Pinot (as you would expect from one of the region's founding fathers) but also has an international appeal and luxurious quality that way surpasses our stunningly low importer-direct price point.