Description
Why you'll love it?
Dry River was founded by pioneer winemaker of NZ Pinot, Dr Neil McCallum. With a PhD in organic chemistry, Neil and his wife Dawn, planted Martinborough's first 100 Pinot Noir vines in 1979. It was the McCallums who really put Martinborough on the map. The name Dry River was that of one of the earliest South Wairarapa sheep stations. The ‘Dry River’ aptly describes the very arid, gravelly and free-draining site. Since Neil's retirement in 2011, Dutch born winemaker Wilco Lam has taken reign and has made subtle changes without deviating from the Dry River DNA or its values. The result is a Pinot Noir that continues to display the trademark power and concentration of Dry River, but is also beautifully balanced with notably more subtle nuances than its predecessors.
Tastes Like?
98/100 Bob Campbell
"An intense, velvety Pinot Noir, with strong sweet cherry, Oriental spices, plum, violet and nutty oak flavours. A powerful wine in a style that often attracts criticism for being too big and lacking varietal identity, but you only need to taste this wine after a decade in bottle to begin to appreciate its wonderful potential and true varietal character. Deliciously approachable now but much better later."
Perfect with: Slow cooked duck ragu, lamb cutets, aged proscuitto
Ageing Potential: 7-10 years
Size: 750mL