Blank Canvas Acclaimed Reds
Red Pack NV 4.5l

Una Volta Pinot Noir 2018 

18+ Points (Top 3 NZ Pinot Noir 2018) "Much darker than the Anthem Pinot 2018. The fruit is also darker and more savoury but still with Pinot’s unmistakable perfume: dark-red fruits and a non-sweet floral fragrance – not really what I expected from the colour. There’s a Morey-St-Denis-like floral spice. Concentrated but not in the least heavy. Plenty of tannins considering it was only the free-run juice but they are polished and fine. Polar opposite to the Anthem 2019 and shows the range of terroirs and styles in Central Otago. Firm, gently chewy, with terrific density but all lithe and full of energy. Not quite ready yet though hard to resist." Julia Harding MW | JancisRobinson.com 27/01/22

Una Volta Pinot Noir 2020

9​​​6 points -Outstanding "Fragrant and complex, there’s a delicacy as much as there is power; aromas of place and time, cherry flesh and raspberry, a fine savoury dried herb quality with layers of oak and mineral earth qualities. Plush and ripe with satin textures touching the palate first, flavours of cherries and flowers, dried herb and tilled soils. The oak add complexity and texture from a soft vanilla and sweetness to coarse silk tannins then a medium+ acid line. Delicious, powerful and charming. Best drinking from late 2024 or early 2025 through 2032+. Cameron Douglas MS

Element Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2019

​​​​95 points - Intense wine with an appealing seamless texture and lifted aromatics. Dark berry, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, anise, and black pepper are also evident. Elegant, supple wine—a pleasure to taste 20/12/2022 Bob Campbell MW

Element Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2018

Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

5 STARS ***** "Already very expressive, the 2020 vintage (5*) was hand-harvested from 19 year-old vines at Taylor Pass, in the Southern Valleys, and matured for a year in French oak barriques. Bright ruby, it is a refined, complex wine, very savoury and supple, with deep, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, finely integrated oak, and a silky-textured, very harmonious finish. Best drinking 2025+." Michael Cooper, February 2023

Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

95 points - Attractively aromatic wine with floral/violet, red cherry, grape stems and a suggestion of classy oak. Elegant wine with high energy, crushed herb flavours. Approachable now but with good cellaring potential 20/12/2022 Bob Campbell MW

Una Volta Pinot Noir 2018 

Una Volta’ means ‘One Time’. In 2018 a organically farmed single vineyard nestled in the Queensberry subregion halfway between Wanaka and Cromwell in Central Otago, offered its pristine fruit to us. Having both grown up in Central Otago, the bounty of the region always proves tempting, but this fruit was stunning.

The nature of this fruit, being from a warm and vibrantly fruity year, presented an exceptional situation where we decided to use only the free-run portion, such was the power and density of the wine following fermentation. It is gloriously immense, with black fruit compote, warm baking spice notes and a rich velvety texture. Maintaining our minimalist philosophy, we bottled it without filtration which means nothing is taken away though a natural deposit will occur over time.

Una Volta Pinot Noir 2020

This is our second 'Una Volta' Pinot Noir from Central Otago, which is rather confusing considering Una Volta means 'one time' in Italian! 

The 'Una Volta' name is designated to limited release one-off parcels that we believe will make something very special. The 2020 Una Volta hails from a site with impressive pedigree: the Renaissance Vineyard on Bannockburn's Felton Road.Sophie's family friends planted, manage and own this close-planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay site above the Kawarau River and opposite the Bannockburn sluicings in the Cromwell Basin where Sophie grew up. So, it was only fitting that when a small 4.5 tonne parcel of this fruit was offered to us in 2020 we said yes. We're very excited to able to showcase Bannockburn Pinot Noir with all its glorious fragrance, generosity, innate structure and staying power.

Element Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2019

In the true expression of cool-climate Syrah, this wine exudes freshly cracked black pepper, crushed violets, red and black forest fruits and savoury smoky nuances. It has crunchy lifted acidity which carries the defined, fine-grain tannins and background of spicy, savoury oak.

This wine is about fragrance and texture, and this 2019 vintage has a slight departure from previous years in that it's a pure expression of Syrah as we did not co-ferment with Gruner Veltliner (try it with our 2018 side-by-side to see if you can spot a difference!). It still has a high proportion of whole-clusters in the fermentation to bring aromatic lift, complexity and structure. The 2019 vintage was exceptional in the Bay with incredible density of flavour as well as a resounding freshness. Ultimately this Syrah demonstrates the phenomenal potential Gimblett Gravels has for producing cool-climate Syrah and we are thrilled with the stylistic consistency this special single vineyard is delivering.  Enjoy now, or bury it deep in the cellar to allow the beguiling tertiary characters of Syrah to develop.  

Element Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2018

Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

Escaroth Vineyard is a site that truly reflects vintage variation: this year's release simply ticks all the boxes for Pinot Noir fanatics. It has a beguiling, complex perfume that treads both red/blue fruit and an enchanting spice, game and earthy savouriness. The very low-yielding vintage (4.6 t/ha) coupled with the dry-farmed nature of the site has resulted in incredible concentration and intensity.

2020 was the second drought year in a trio (2019 - 2021), all of which demanded the use of whole-bunch to ensure balanced extraction and lifted aromatics. The result is a very complex, savoury Pinot Noir with a structured yet elegant tannin framework. As this wine is bottled without filtration, a small amount of natural sediment may form with time. 

Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

This is our second release of the impressive Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir.  Located in the Omaka Valley in the Southern Valleys chain, the vineyard is organically farmed and was established in 2009. The north-facing hillside, dubbed the Back Block is planted to a high density (3788 plants / ha) while the exposure yields naturally small bunches and berries.Matt explains our Blank Canvas Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir is a classic representation of Pinot Noir from the Omaka. It has incredible density and power. For us, Omaka is the most tannic sub-region in Marlborough which is why this 2020 vintage, which was another warm and dry year, we have opted for a higher whole cluster proportion (65%). It is an incredibly structured and impressive wine and is built to age.