Country: | New Zealand |
Winery: | Two Paddocks |
Grape Type: | Pinot Noir |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
J. Davies Nobles Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The 2020 Nobles Vineyard Pinot Noir’s aroma elegantly opens with blueberry compote, dark cherry and dried citrus peels, followed with a touch of baking spice and a hint of forest floor. The palate’s bright entry leads to notes of cranberry, red raspberry and a sprinkle of black tea, while a crisp acidity supports silky tannins to a clean finish.
Review:
Bountiful black-cherry flavors and good balance make this full-bodied wine difficult to resist. Black-fruit flavors are rich and well concentrated, backed by a light touch on the oak spices that emerge on the finish and add nice complexity.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
This carries the forest green scent of the far-coast hills, a savory pinot noir with mineral intensity. The wine’s cherry-red fruit ripens on the eastern, leeward slopes of the second ridge in from the Pacific, that ripeness tamed by an earthy evergreen scent lasts for minutes, as if breathing the air at the edge of a redwood grove.
-Wine & Spirits 93 Points
The Prisoner Wine Company Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
From the most recognized Napa Valley red blend comes a bold, new wine. Made in the same iconic style as The Prisoner Red Blend, we proudly introduce The Prisoner Pinot Noir. Redefining taste once again.
A mix of Russian River and Carneros AVAs produces this classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with notes of ripe cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry with clove spice. The palate is driven by rhubarb and cherry with an underlying minerality and spice, which culminates with soft tannins and an elegant, balanced acidity.
Chef Brett recommends pairing The Prisoner Pinot Noir with Mushroom Risotto or Grilled Salmon.
The inviting nose offers up scents of Santa Rosa red plums, cassis, dried sweet figs and pomegranate backed by sandalwood and hints of tea rose. Bright and exciting on the palate, the entry begins with firm tannins and complex layers of red raspberries, bergamot tea, dried herbs and rose petal notes. Refreshing acidity carries the wine throughout the finish.
To match with the juicy acidity and bright nature of this wine, we offer up a vegan recipe for Spicy Quinoa with Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms. The shiitakes are a classic pairing with Pinot Noir, but when combined with the spicy ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper, all melds beautifully into a dish that pairs seamlessly with the 2020 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.
Review:
Aromas of spiced cherry, plum and fresh mint. Medium-to full-bodied with silky tannins. An interesting, well-balanced mix of fresh red and black fruit and savory spice. Good concentration. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 93 Points
The 2020 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is ripe with raspberry candy, crushed rose petal, and turned earth. The tannins in the 2020 are a touch more present and emerge on the finish, and it also has more warmth. Drink this over the next 10 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Ancien Pinot Noir Fiddlestix is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Fiddlestix Vineyard is located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, which straddle the Santa Ynez River as it makes its way to the Pacific Ocean. As an East-West oriented valley, opening its mouth to the cool Pacific breezes, the consistent and cooling marine influence is significant. The vineyard is managed and owned in partnership by Kathy Joseph, who has planted an array of clones and rootstocks on several, varied soils to create a staggering level of diversity from this single vineyard. The remarkably consistent weather, characterized by lower highs and higher lows than our North Coast vineyards, conspires with silica-laden, marine sedimentary soils to make wines of power and exceptional structure.
Fiddlestix always presents a bold Pinot Noir with notes of fruit and exotic spice. As the vines have aged, we noticed more and more underlying depth (they now are approaching their 25th vintage). The nose greets with notes of cassis, Indian spice, and hints of incense. Fresh dark fruits lead the palate, and the focus settles on ripe flavors of blackberry and currants spiced with peppercorn/allspice. Velvety and softly chewy tannins emphasize structure, while ever-present acidity balances and brightens. The spicy aromatics and flavors continue through the long finish.
Flaunt Pinot Noir Peake Ranch Vineyard Santa Rita Hills is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
Review:
"A light shade of ruby in the glass, this single-vineyard expression pops on the nose with fresh Bing cherry, strawberry, curry leaf and carnation aromas. The palate is very zesty as well, with a taut texture that presents flavors of smashed currant, melon rind, crunchy sage and wild thyme. - MATT KETTMANN"
- Wine Enthusiast (April 2022), 94 pts
Mandolin Pinot Noir Monterey is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
With its maritime influence, California's Monterey region has an extended growing season that yields wines with full flavor development and great acid balance. Mandolin Pinot Noir has spice, ripe cherry, and savory tones on the nose. It is medium-bodied with polished tannins, showing strawberry and mineral notes.
Two Paddocks The Last Chance Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
A beguiling complex nose showing wild thyme, red fruit and a mix of spicy blackberry and plum aromatics. This gives way to a plush fully textured palate weight giving generous amounts of flavor built on an elegant, fresh and feminine framework, great tension and poise.
Review:
This has fantastic concentration and complexity. Earthy notes of bark, dried herbs, salty mushrooms and nori marry ripe red and purple berry fruit. Sleek and refined with well-integrated tannins. There's a peppery freshness shining through. Savory and long.
-James Suckling 96 Points
We started in 1993 with modest ambitions and first planted five acres of pinot noir at our original little vineyard at Gibbston, Central Otago in the deep south of New Zealand.
At the same time, our friend Roger Donaldson planted the land next door, hence the name Two Paddocks. (Roger's paddock proved to be a slow starter, which meant we had to go it on our own; however we kept the title. His brand, Sleeping Dogs, takes its name from the first film we made together.)
I wanted to produce a good pinot noir that would, at the very least, be enjoyed by my family and friends. Frankly, my friends will pretty much drink anything, so this didn't seem too hard. To our great surprise, our first vintage in 1997 was much better than we hoped, in spite of a difficult growing season. 1998 was a more distinguished vintage, and in 1999 we were astounded to produce a pinot that was, we thought, world class. Here was a wine of considerable complexity with an amazing nose, delicious fruit and a good lengthy finish (from clones 10/5 and 5). So rewarding has this vineyard been over the years (and so unpromising as a sheep paddock) that we planted another 5 acres of Burgundian clones there in 2008 bringing the total acreage at The First Paddock, Gibbston, to 5 hectares.
Since that original release in 1997, with each successive year we have produced a pinot noir (sometimes 4 or 5 pinot noirs) that have done us proud and are, to be frank, too good to be wasted on our friends. They still somehow manage to bludge a lot off us, and that, combined with The Proprietor's generous thirst, accounts for the occasional scarcity of Two Paddocks Pinot.
In short, we have become outrageously ambitious - we want to produce year after year, the world's best pinot noir.
Our original vineyard has now been augmented by three other small vineyards, superbly sited in the Alexandra and Bannockburn districts of Central Otago.
The Last Chance vineyard is 7-acres in size on a very beautiful terrace above the Earnscleugh Valley, and sits under some very striking rocky headlands. We planted it with Burgundian pinot vines (5,6,115) in 1998. Two Paddocks "The Last Chance" Pinot Noir is from this single vineyard (first vintage 2002). "The Last Chance" name comes from an old gold miners watercourse that runs through the yard, dating from the 1860s.
In 2000 we acquired Red Bank, a lovely 130 acre small farm nestled between two dramatic rock escarpments. It has become our main vineyard, as we call it rather grandly 'Headquarters', since we have our offices, staff quarters and a splendid Club House as well there. We have planted more Burgundian pinot clones (777,667 and 115 primarily), and the pinot from this, our biggest vineyard, usually forms the backbone of our premium "Two Paddocks Pinot Noir", a wine to die for year after year. (NOTE: Management prefer you not to die for our wine, as we enjoy your custom year after year). We also grow our Riesling here.
Red Bank is, incidentally, more than a vineyard however. It was some years ago, a research station for Crop & Food and we maintain, to this day, many of the medicinal and culinary herbs that were planted then (including lavender, saffron, Echinacea as well as apricots, cherries, apples, pears, truffles etc).
In January 2014, we acquired our fourth small vineyard block, this one in Bannockburn. This a beautifully positioned vineyard, that has been tended with immense dedication and attention to detail and we could not be more delighted to include this iconic site into the Two Paddocks fold. Situated at the end of Felton Road, it is a 6-hectare block entirely devoted to pinot noir and was established in 1999 by Denny Downie and Jane Gill. It lies at the foot of Mount Difficulty and its neighbours are Felton Road, Terra Sancta and Akarua vineyards.
This puts us in the unique position of being the only Central Otago winery with a footprint in all three of Central Otagos great valleys, by owning vineyards in Gibbston, the Alexandra Basin and now the Cromwell Basin. We believe it demonstrates our faith and confidence in the future of New Zealand wine, Central Otago and in particular, Central Otago Pinot Noir.
Force Majeure Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is made from 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon.
The estate Cabernet Sauvignon is grown primarily along the southwest ridge of the vineyard. The vines produce small berries with bountiful flavor, concentration and intensity, but also a good degree of finesse, excellent structure and layers of complexity that will continue to develop during extended bottle aging for those who want to cellar and age their wines. The wine is powerful, elegant, full-bodied.
Bottled unfined and unfiltered.100% free run
Pumpovers and punch-downs, up to 45 day macerations
Native yeast, 5 day cold soaks
22 months in 75% new French oak barrels
Fermented in concrete and stainless closed top tanks.
Review:
Another gem is the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain Estate, a deep, concentrated, powerful Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that I suspect will be up there with the legendary wines from this terroir. Beautiful cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and damp earth notes give way to a full-bodied effort that has a liqueur of rocks-like minerality, flawless balance, building yet polished tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 4-5 years, and it will evolve for 25-30 years if properly stored. Best After 2026.
-Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points
Boroli Barolo Brunella is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
A clear ruby red color, with very light orange reflections. A net aroma in which liquorice stands out at first, immediately followed by a fruity scent; the aroma makes you scent it again and again to discover different and pleasant facets. The fruity aroma magnificently prevails after a few minutes in the glass. A very enveloping, fresh and harmonious taste, with a delicate and tasty presence of wood. A long lasting taste that invites to sip it slowly again and again.
Tasting Notes
Brunella is distinguished by a careful selection of grapes, perfect destemming, long macerations with submerged cap. The barrels for Brunella are specifically chosen by the winemaker.
Wine Production
Brunella is one of the most historic single vineyard sites of all of Castiglione Falletto, however it hasn’t ever been bottled singularly under the Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva BRUNELLA until 2013. The Brunella vineyard occupies the western crest of the Villero hillside and complete surrounds the Boroli winery. The vineyard is a monopole—owned entirely by Boroli and is the most prestigious wine in the lineup. As it occupies the best exposed section of the Villero hillside, La Brunella expresses power, drive, complexity, and extraordinary length and ageability.
About the Vineyard
The Boroli family is a family of entrepreneurs, with roots in Piedmont dating back to 1831. The family started their winemaking business in1997, when Silvano and Elena Boroli felt an ardent desire to step away from the pressures of their publishing business and reconnect to nature. Silvano and Elena grew the company until their son, Achille, stepped in to run the wine-growing and production business in 2012.
In the 2012 grape harvest Achille decided to radically change the methods used in vineyards and wineries, aiming for the highest quality in Barolo and its crus. He cut production levels, updated the winemaking technology, and focused on low intervention methods to raise the quality of the Boroli wines be on par with the finest Barolo wines.
Review:
Solid and centered, it displays a splendid Mediterranean character reminiscent of rosemary, wild thyme, marjoram, lemons, and red plums. Full body, perfectly extracted tannins of commendable beauty, and a slender yet disturbingly charming finish. Wow! Better from 2024
-WineCritic.com 96 Points