Blank Canvas
Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml

New Release

ACCOLADES

‘The powerful, very harmonious 2021 vintage (*****) was hand-picked from 20-year-old vines in the Omaka Valley, barrel-aged and bottled unfiltered.  Full-coloured, it is a weighty, very savoury and complex red, with dense cherry, spice and nut flavours, and good tannin backbone.  Set for a long life, it should break into full stride 2027+.

5 STARS | MICHAEL COOPER MA ONZM | AUGUST 2025

________________________

Named in the Top NZ Wines of 2025 - ‘The bouquet is impressive and strong with power and precision. Aromas of ripe mid to dark-skinned berry fruits including boysenberry and wild forest berries. There’s a seam of ripe plum then clove and vanilla spice elements. Wood and earth-smoke add complexity and definition. On the palate a dry wine with the power and precision that the bouquet suggested driving texture and tension, tannins and acidity make a bold statement contrasted by the core fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. A delicious wine, one for the cellar with best drinking from 2029 through 2037+.

96 POINTS - OUTSTANDING | CAMERON DOUGLAS MS |  JULY 2025

________________________

‘Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of sun-warmed rocks and dried herbs. In the mouth, cherry and raspberry fruit mix with herbal tones, supported by fine tannins. Green herbal notes and lifted aromatics carry through a long, perfumed finish. Really wonderful aromatic.’

9-9.5 POINTS | ALDER YARROW | JANUARY 2026

________________________

‘A very pretty tension to this pinot with strawberries, orange blossoms and perfumed cedar character. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Love the focused length. Drinkable but better with time. Screw cap.’

95 POINTS | JAMES SUCKLING | JAMESSUCKLING.COM | NOVEMBER 2024

________________________

‘Two-thirds whole bunch. Juicy, fresh and expressive with some spicy detail. Very refined with nice grip. Real poise and elegance here’.

94 POINTS | JAMIE GOODE | JANUARY 2026

________________________

‘The 2021 Pinot Noir Settlement Vineyard is a remarkably satisfying and layered expression from a low-vigor, high-density, sloping site. There's plenty of concentration here with two-thirds whole bunch and sinewy tannins. Savory and floral, medicinal herbs and spices offset the sweet and ripe red fruit.’

94 POINTS | REBECCA GIBB MW | VINOUS | From: New Zealand Reds: Making the Bucket List (Jul 2025)

________________________

‘Dense, deep and firmly-structured pinot noir with plenty of weight and heft. Flavours suggest dark chocolate, mocha, cassis, dark-fleshed plum, and. Bold wine with obvious cellaring potential.’

94 POINTS | BOB CAMPBELL MW | JULY 2025

________________________

‘A distinctive nose of whole bunch; kanuka, smoke, earth and gravelly minerality, all woven into subtle oak spice. The palate is framed by chalky, structured tannins which make space for the floral, fresh herb and elegant black fruit to flow. Counterbalanced by vibrant acidity, it forms an elegant, fine-boned package which allows the perfume to persist right through the finely linear finish. Not a blockbuster but a wine of finesse, this is currently in a youthfully closed state and will improve significantly with more time in bottle.’

93 POINTS | STEPHEN WONG MW | JANUARY 2025

________________________

‘The 2021 Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir is complex and stalky, with layers of woodsy spice, autumn leaves, tapenade, cinnamon cassia, cherry pit and caper brine. In the mouth, the tannins are fine and serve to support the vibrant fruit. It's lively and almost a little tart, but it works. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.’

90 POINTS | ERIN LARKIN | WINE ADVOCATE | JUNE 2025