Dry River Pinot Noir

2019 Dry River Pinot Noir

A late spring frost in October 2018 caused quite some havoc in the Martinborough region.  Our vineyards suffered sporadic shoot losses, but the real damage became apparent after flowering.  We experienced approximately 30% yield loss across our vineyards due to poor fruit set, probably caused by this frost.  The upside here, though, is that the resulting wine shows deeper and more powerful characters, partly driven by a warm summer and benign autumn.

The complexity of this vintage will bloom after five to eight years of age.

Please note this wine has been un-fined and unfiltered in order to safeguard aromatics and structure. Therefore a deposit might form in the bottom of the bottle.

The colour is deep ruby red with a dark cherry-like core. Dense and intense aromatics are laced with a lifted perfume fragrance. The fruit shows cherry and blueberry pie with cassis, blackberries, and tamarillo. More complex aromas show savoury characters like straw, graphite, char, dark chocolate, pencil shavings, and even some herbs like thyme and sage. As a result, the wine is very seductive, with a degree of mystique and flair.

A degree of intimacy is immediately apparent on the palate.  The initial fruit sweetness makes way for supple tannins that draw outwards from the middle. This opens the centre up for the fruit weight to show and also broadens the mouthfeel, giving the wine an approachable appearance. The wine comes together at the back via a gentle acidity in the form of cherries and tamarillo. All the time, the wine just wants to please.

2018 Dry River Pinot Noir

The 2018 was recorded as one of the warmest on record, very much like the 1998, which is now praised as a high-quality vintage.  We experienced a humid January and early February, with warm nights.  With this in mind we decided to commence picking early, with the Pinot Noir all picked within 6 days.  The early harvest prevented loss of acidity and too overt and dark character; in other words, we were able to maintain fresh and pretty characters.  Like all our other 2018 wines, the vintage brought warmth, generosity and stamina.

We expect this wine to gain further interest over the next ten years.

Please note this wine has been un-fined and unfiltered in order to safeguard aromatics and structure. Therefore a deposit might form in the bottom of the bottle.

There is a light charred oak note present, easily confused with toasted almonds.  Flowery scents like cherry blossom, violets and Christmas lilies are combined with plums, boysenberry and liquorice.  Immediately the nose reveals this to be a serious wine: very coherent with rapidly expanding boundaries bringing aromatic volume.

The palate, too, has an escalating horizon and an inflating edge; it’s simply delicious, with well-rounded tannins.  Initially there is a juicy, plush elegance, with the tannins claiming a more authoritative and luxurious presence, showing off its class and flamboyance.  The mid-palate brings the wine back to earth with a grounding acidity that reigns the wine in again without overpowering the fruit weight.  It is just enough to bring life again to the floral and lighter fruit aromatics, to highlight the central core and to show the length and smooth finish on the back palate.  This is a thought-provoking wine that occupies all spaces and has aroused our excitement tremendously.

2016 Dry River Pinot Noir

The wine bottle opening ritual and anticipation is taken to another level with a magnum. For me, the size and weight of the bottle brings feelings of comfort and decadence. Removing the wax seal  evokes memories and an extra celebratory feeling. It’s truly a wonderful way to cater for moments where a bit of indulgence is necessary.

Drink now, or cellar for up to ten years.

The 2016 Pinot Noir magnum is evolving in stature. The wine shows great posture and radiates personality and authority. Aromatically, it is an autumnal picnic of Denzel plums, stewed rhubarb and cherry pie with biscotti base and caramelised top. Air and a moment in the glass reveals fallen leaves on the forest floor, suppressed dark toast and bark notes, dried thyme and salt-like iodine. These rich aromas all characterise the amazing state this wine is in at the moment.

The palate is softening, approachable and calm, with a lively crowd of tannins that are still present on the mid-palate. The periphery provides a buoyant cushioning effect on which the core of the wine can bounce back and forth. This also suggests that the acidity and tannins are making amends and are coming in a state of peace, which paves the way for a longer and smoother finish.

2015 Dry River Pinot Noir

For us at Dry River, blending of our Pinot noir is a relatively straightforward event.  We produce no second tier label, all our barrels are destined for one wine: Dry River Martinborough Pinot noir.  This certainly brings pressure to the winegrowing and making, balanced with a good dose of excitement.  Our anticipation culminates when the wine is racked from barrel to tank and prepared for the final blend!

Crimson red with a fluorescent purple rim, as we often see in a young Dry River Pinot noir.  The fragrant nose reveals cherry blossoms and violets, where blackcurrant and raspberry are indicative of the youthful character of the wine.  Lightly spiced, with crushed dried leaves and perhaps some lifted cardamom pod bring welcome nuances to the aromatics.  Chocolate hazelnut praline compliments the ripe fruit and pays tribute to the French oak maturation.

The low yields and extended water stress in mid-season allowed for high sunlight exposure with a low amount of leaf numbers.  This retards sugar accumulation and potential alcohol, where tannin formation and ripening are enhanced. Considering the low cropping level, contrary to expectation, the fruit versus tannin ratio is well balanced and without excess.  Elegant, chalky tannins are dispersed over the palate, stretching the wine broad. They are matched with dense and concentrated fruit mainly visible on the middle of the palate.  The retention of whole-berry clusters in the fermentation process is to bring ‘freshness’ of fruit to compliment the ripe plum, cassia bark and familiar Christmas spice flavours.  To finish, the longevity of the palate is achieved with finely textured oak tannins in combination with a soft and suppressed acidity that lies underneath, acting as a lace to tie the wine together. 

2014 Dry River Pinot Noir

For the winemaking team, the interesting aspect of our Pinot noir is the proportion of representation of each of our three blocks. This varies every year due to natural influences on fruit set. For 2014 it is our Craighall vineyard that has a higher proportion than usual. This translates to slightly darker characters and a firmer personality, mainly due to the tannins. Our Dry River block was instrumental in regulating softness and providing calmness.

 If drinking as a young wine, we would recommend decanting first and serving slightly warmer than usual. Expect this wine to cellar well.

Deep red in colour with a ruby hue. The nose has full dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and blackberry. At this stage the wine shows some aromatic floral notes and sinew, just enough to balance the opulence of the fruit. There are some subtle oak notes in the form of a gentle walnut like nuance. The palate is well structured at this early stage with an abundance of front palate tannins, however most are cloaked by the richness of the fruit and the density of the flavours. Some sweetness peeks through, although only as a foil for the acidity, which combined, adds to the overall palate presence.

2013 Dry River Estate Pinot Noir

The different oak regime; a higher percentage of new barrels from selected producers, shows a seamless convergence with the depth and concentration of the fruit from our Dry River Estate vineyard.  We also used a higher amount of whole grape clusters in the ferment, 60 percent, with the aim to provide an aromatic lift and fine textured, front palate tannins.  The development of the primary fruit bouquet to more secondary types presents more intermingled, undefined forest fruit, berry compote, glazed cherries, eucalypt and menthol characteristics. 

The palate has become more streamlined and round with mouth coating tannins.  The Dry River Estate vineyard consistently provides a concentrated, deep palate that requires a gentle and reserved winemaking approach in order to show restraint.  Despite its weight, the palate is pretty, elegant and well balanced and does not overbear, mainly thanks to the precise oak and firm acidity.  The thin and lengthy tannins are a good coat hanger for fruit to form a juicy, fleshy, long finish.

The cellaring potential is significant for the 2013 Dry River Estate, we anticipate another eight to ten years from now. 

2013 Dry River Pinot Noir

We often see with our Pinot noir that the vineyard has supplied this wine with a deep purple colour. The nose brings an ample array of aromas and soft oak tones. The usual Dry River aromas of Christmas spice, pipe tobacco and plum are all in attendance. Initially this wine seems savoury, dark and brooding but elegant red berry and raspberry characters are not to be missed. The juicy, sappy and dense fruit fills out the palate providing a full and fleshy mouth-feel. The acidity provides focus and a thoroughfare for the wine towards the back with a dapple of oak influence for support and additional complexity. While transparent tannins are no hindrance to the front palate, the soft nature of this wine is not to be misjudged. This subtle palate texture contributes to overall structure and will require adequate time to mature. We envisage this wine will be of renewed interest within three to five years and reach full maturity after eight to ten years.

2011 Dry River Pinot Noir

2011 was close to a classic vintage. Growing conditions were close to the long-term average for heat and rainfall accumulation.  Favourable weather during flowering meant we had good cropping levels. With the long Indian-style autumn, harvest was fantastic, though with warmer nights. Please enjoy this 10-year old cellared wine. Cellared by us, to be enjoyed by you.

The colour is notably lighter with red hues.  The nose has now moved away from intense, youthful fruit and is more delicate and subtle in the form of dried strawberries with cherry compote.  There is still spice, more in the form of liquorice, with aniseed and dried herbs.  Further complexity has developed with cedar, marzipan and biscotti base.

On the palate, the wine still builds with intensity towards the back, supported by a soft and buoyant structure.  The tannins have matured and their interaction with the acids has also softened, cushioning the fruit with slower and longer ripples over the palate. The discreteness of the acids is in harmony with the secondary and tertiary flavours like bacon fat and smokiness, retaining a youthfulness on the palate.  With this long drawn out crescendo of aromatics and strong bones, we anticipate the wine can further develop for another five or so years.

2010 Dry River Pinot Noir

The colour is a deep, rich, ruby shade with an almost purple edge. The nose is both pretty and varietal, with flowers, black cherries, spicy potpourri and subtle undertones of briarwood and new leather. Fine tannins spread across the palate giving a supple and silken texture to the wine, tasting of black cherries, black forest berries, freshly grated cacao chocolate, and sweet tobacco, all underpinned by a common thread we find in our Pinots – the Christmas cake spices. The palate is perhaps looking slightly restrained at this stage revealing its apparent but seamless structure and is what I would expect to see in our Pinot Noir in its youth. It would therefore benefit greatly by decanting before it is served, certainly for the next 12 months or so.

2009 Dry River Pinot Noir

From early tastings immediately prior to bottling through to its en primeur release in 2010 this wine has shown a very positive and continuing evolution. The colour retains its vibrant ruby and purple lights that proceed right to its edges. The nose has a distinctive perfumed lift which is underpinned by softer longiflorum lily scents, musky spice, black olive and an earthy, forest floor character. A layered nose complements the palate and its flavour profile, which displays minerality, red and black fruits, black olive, dried sage and hints of aromatic spices. The wine has a long spreading palate that is lengthy and slightly textured with a viscosity that contributes to the overall suppleness and elegance of the wine. A wine with what I perceive to have a good long future ahead of it. I recommend re-evaluating its progress in 4 years.From early tastings immediately prior to bottling through to its en primeur release in 2010 this wine has shown a very positive and continuing evolution. The colour retains its vibrant ruby and purple lights that proceed right to its edges. The nose has a distinctive perfumed lift which is underpinned by softer longiflorum lily scents, musky spice, black olive and an earthy, forest floor character. A layered nose complements the palate and its flavour profile, which displays minerality, red and black fruits, black olive, dried sage and hints of aromatic spices. The wine has a long spreading palate that is lengthy and slightly textured with a viscosity that contributes to the overall suppleness and elegance of the wine. A wine with what I perceive to have a good long future ahead of it. I recommend re-evaluating its progress in 4 years.

2008 Dry River Pinot Noir

This Pinot is crimson with a purple aspect and is similar in density to our ’07 wine. The nose seems quite fragrant and pure – flowers, cherries/black fruit, pot pourri and black olives with an underlying sweetness. The alcohol is approx 13%, and initially it may appear to be a light wine until the flavour persistence persuades one that this impression derives from elegance. The flavours are in the floral/cherry range with Black Doris plum, black olives and crushed walnuts accompanied by a juicy astringency and a delicate lushness.

2007 Dry River Pinot Noir

Perhaps as a consequence of the high average age of these vines, this was again amongst the first harvested in Martinborough. The cropping was relatively light (1t/A, approx 16hl/ha) and when this fact is combined with the lack of irrigation the lushness of fruit comes as no surprise. It is a rich rhodalite red and on the nose gives an initial impression of flowers (boronia?) with black fruits in the background. The palate is lush but refined, again with a subtle statement of black fruit and our trademark dried spice both largely concealing the structure necessary for ageability. There is an ethereal aspect to the palate reflecting the florals found on the nose. Re-evaluate in 3-4 years, it should be drinking well between at least 3 and 7 years.

2006 Dry River Pinot Noir

I enjoy our Pinot noirs for their expression of the Martinborough terroir which is achieved while preserving their distinct Dry River personality. This wine is an intense ruby which inclines to hints of mahogany, with a nose showing both florals and red/black berries followed by crushed aromatic leaves, Christmas fruitcake spice, ginger and gamey undertones. The palate is charming – suave and silky, hiding a moderately firm spreading structure with a long after-taste. Flavours of red and black cherries dominate the Christmas fruit cake spice and carob and this is followed by a similar gamy undertone matching the aromatics. These wines can ‘go into a tunnel’ after 6 months or so; but by next spring expect it to open, finally showing its true breed from about 3-4 years. Many of our Pinots have rewarded those who have cellared them for over ten years.

2005 Dry River Pinot Noir

The wine is a rich ruby right through to its edge. A delicate floral lift in bouquet is followed by a range of berry aromas with hints of talc and aromatic black tea. As for the Pinot gris, first impressions are of minerality and fullness giving transparency to the palate, and this is followed by precise, almost delicate flavours of predominately red berries underpinned by notes of fruit cake spice and threaded with touches of black tea from the ripe but understated fruit tannins. A long aftertaste, mouthwateringly refreshing, pretty. When cellared under good conditions, our Pinot noirs are best drunk from about 3 or 4 years old and can be relatively long lived.

2004 Dry River Pinot Noir

This has a dense colour with a pure ruby edge. The nose shows flowers, raspberry and boysenberries with touches of fragrant black tea and cinnamon. The palate is long and fresh with a seamless, creamy/nutty texture. It has elegance with concentration, again tasting of raspberry, red currants, subtle fruit cake spice and this is underpinned with the black tea flavours of the subtle fruit tannins. The wine is more approachable now than the more robustly structured ’03 so expect it to be drinking well within the range of 2 – 8+ years if cellared under appropriate conditions.

2003 Dry River Pinot Noir

This is another typically low-yield ’03 wine, the fruit for which was brought in at about 1.2 T/a. The colour is a dense, rich ruby with an almost purple edge. Its nose is both subtle clove and cinnamon tones. The palate is soft and rounded, with obvious concentration. Ripe fruit tannins are buried in unctuous fruit – violets, red and black berries, liquorice – and a slightly spicy aftertaste. The hallmarks of the wine are concentration with elegance and delicacy of expression.

This wine is attractive drinking already, but following a recent vertical tasting of our Pinot noirs in which the ’89-91 were still showing well, I would expect that in cellars temperature controlled to 12ºC it should be drinking well at 5-15 years. Warmer cellars will tend to give different results, as we have discussed on other occasions.

2001 Dry River Pinot Noir

Like the Chardonnay, this wine shows its vintage: fresh varietal flavours, firm structure, restrained alcohol and accented floral character. The colour is typical for Dry River – a dense ruby with a purple rim, with the nose showing violets, sweet boysenberries, orange peel, cloves and a soft sweet-earth background. The palate is soft and generous, with a silky texture masking firm ripe tannins and with dense flavours – ripe dark berry fruits, Asian five-spice and mocha, with suggestions of black tea and forest floor. It is attractive drinking now (in which case drink at >17ºC.), yet appears to have the structure for longer-term cellaring. It may well be a 7-10 year wine, but review it in about 4 years when its development will be more easily predicted.

2000 Dry River Pinot Noir

2000 was an even lower cropping year than 1999 with yields (thanks to frosts) little more than half the previous year. The colour is similar to the ’99 wine – possibly slightly lighter but still dense with a pure hue. The nose is rich, smelling of rose petal and manuka flowers, red and black berries, plums, fruit cake spices and roasted nuts. The flavours evoke similar descriptions : raspberry, black fruit and rich plum, Xmas cake spices and hints of mint. The palate is well structured with soft velvet tannins – similar to that of the 1999 wine, but with slightly more emphasis on the front palate as befits the year. I see no reason why it should not be as long lived as previous wines of the better vintages.

1999 Dry River Pinot Noir Amaranth

Progressively smaller changes in our general approach to making these wines have been necessary over recent years as we have adopted or adapted tradition according to the particularities of the Martinborough climate and soil. Fine-tuning this general approach to extract the maximum in concentration and flavour according to the fruit we have been given in each year seems to have resulted in the wines now expressing more of the individuality of each vintage.

1999 was a very low cropping year for us (less than 1t/A or 17 hL/ha), and it has produced a wine with very dense colour and concentrated fruit. The nose shows violets, red and black berries with plums, walnuts and even hints of crème caramel derived from the barrel maturation. The level of tannins in this wine does not appear quite as high as in the 96 and 98 wines, but this could be because of the very ripe characters of the tannins and the fruit concentration. We have designated this an ?Amaranth®’ wine on account of its concentration and finesse, the complexity and spread of flavours – from raspberry through blackberries to plums – and for its elegant expression. I am looking forward to following the development of this wine over a number of years.

N.B. When this wine is young, avoid drinking cool so that the youthful tannins do not dominate the fruit (try at ca. 18-20ºC).

1998 Dry River Pinot Noir

We were careful to preserve freshness and elegance in this wine (as we did for the Chardonnay), as a direct response to the heat and drought stress up to harvest. Its colour is a rich ruby with a lively hue. The nose is aromatic, with floral red berry and sweeter blackberry notes combined with an underlying nutty character. The palate is intense but elegant – red and black berry flavours encapsulated in firm but notably silky tannins which mask an underlying concentration and power that could take several years to become fully revealed. The wine is a stylistic synthesis of what we developed in ’95 to ’97 – with its ripe fruit tannin structure – but with a more complex spectrum of flavours aided in part by the unique conditions of the ’98 season and tiny berry sizes of the crop. It is better consumed after some cellaring and I expect it to be one of our more long-lived Pinots.

1997 Dry River Pinot Noir

However much I (the winemaker) might study, dissect and philosophise about red Burgundy wines, in the final analysis the French have the goal of making great Burgundian Pinot noir, and Dry River pursues the goal of great Martinborough Pinot noir. They are different, and each encapsulates the virtues of its own terroir. What ensures their shared capacity for greatness is the common grape variety, Pinot noir, and the passion of its makers. What ensures the differences between them was created millennia before human cultivation of either region.

This winery continues to focus on what it considers to be key ingredients of great (rather than good) wine – concentration and longevity to enable the delivery of developed complexity. With this in mind, our style pursues concentration without loss of elegance and a firm structure derived from fruit tannins to sustain the wine over a number of years of cellaring. These goals require optimum physiological ripeness, which can be achieved only with great effort and attention to detail in the vineyard. If a comparison was to be made with Burgundy, the concentration and power of our latest vintages are within the range of the bigger-style Burgundies, and with the 1997 vintage comparison could be made with Vosne-Romanèe. But the particular qualities of Martinborough fruit will still make their own statement.

The 97 Pinot noir has the intense colour of our recent Pinots. It has soft, sweet and complex aromas, with hints of nuts and a subtle sappiness from the whole bunch ferment. The flavours are intense but lithe and complex. They are of ripe plums and boysenberries, with a firm underlay of soft-textured fruit tannins to provide good development and tautness of flavour for continuing elegance. These wines are attractive both young, for their exuberance of fruit, and as older wines (up to about 8 years) for their developed flavours. To avoid the youthful tannins dominating the fruit, this should not be drunk too cool as a young wine (try at about 17°C). However, do remember that successful maturation is very dependent on good cellaring conditions. Magnums are also available.

1996 Dry River Pinot Noir

Jancis Robinson writes: “If Cabernet produces wines to appeal to the head, Pinots charms are decidedly more sensual and more transparent”. I would sum up fine red Burgundy or Pinot noir as wine which shows the hallmark succulent fruit, with tannic structure to give it form, depth and life while it matures. To be great it must also have the richness, the concentration and the potential to unfold as mature wine. I have no doubt that the Martinborough area will earn world renown for the quality of its fruit characters; but in my view, the challenge has been to transform the raw material into complete wines, i.e. wines which have structure (derived from fruit tannins), concentration and power (while not sacrificing the hedonistic qualities that the area so freely gives), and development potential. Thanks to a continued refinement of our viticultural and winemaking practices, the style of Dry River Pinot noirs since 1993 has demonstrated an evolving tannic structure accompanying increasing concentration of fruit.

This wine is stylistically within the ambit of the more intense Cote de Nuit wines such as Vosne-Romanee. It is not a wine for wimps, but neither has it sacrificed the elegance essential to fine Pinot noir. The fruit was thinned at veraison to levels of 1.4-2.2 T/acre, producing a wine with a very dense ruby colour; intense flavours of blackberries, and herbal and spicy notes; and constraining, firm but fine fruit tannins which nudge the wine towards elegance rather than too obvious weight. As a young wine this should not be drunk too cool to avoid the youthful tannins dominating the fruit (try at ca.17ºC). The track record of our previous Pinots shows that these fruit tannins soften noticeably within 1-2 years, and the fruit may be expected to begin to unfold from this time. It should continue to develop well for up to about 7 years, provided cellaring conditions are appropriate.

1995 Dry River Pinot Noir

Sound fruit is essential to the production of good Pinot noir. It is a tribute to our vineyard staff and their meticulous management that the fruit for this wine was harvested in perfect condition in what was quite a difficult vintage. The early season heat gave the ripest fruit tannins we have seen, so 45% whole bunches were used in the ferments – all of which were started as ‘wild’ or ‘natural’ ferments to utilise the stalks which are the richest source of these fruit tannins. As for the’95 whites, the Pinot is less varietal-fruit driven and more complex than the ’94 wines. The nose reveals hints of mint, cherry, French oak and some herbal/spice notes. The flavours are bright, and the palate is rich, with a big but velvety tannic structure and the herbal/spice flavours associated with this. Although the wine is well structured, the tannins do not dominate the fruit and they will moderate relatively quickly over the next 12 months or so. Martinborough produces world class Pinot noir fruit, and this wine represents a further stylistic step toward the production of alternatives to finest French Burgundies. The wine is drinking well as a young wine and will repay cellaring, providing the storage conditions are appropriate (see The effect of cellaring conditions on your wine).

1994 Dry River Pinot Noir

Our ’94 Pinot noir follows in the footsteps of our ’93 in terms of weight and structure. It has an intense and vibrant cerise colour, and the nose is complex, showing floral notes and ripe berries with a soft underlying gaminess. On the palate, the flavours are round but elegant, concentrated but eminently drinkable (reflecting the characters found in the nose), and have a dense middle palate built up with soft ripe tannins. As with most good Pinot, this is very drinkable now, but it could be a 7-10 year wine if cellared under appropriate conditions. Less then ideal conditions do require earlier consumption (see cellaring guide). Magnums tend to prolong the cellaring life of a wine, reducing the effect of oxidative processes during cellaring.