Anyone know the scoop on Dry River Pinots?

[AJ]

Greetings:

I was told of this wine a few years ago. The retailer mentioned that this wine was supposed to be the best pinot in NZ hands down and that it actually had a significant waiting list. I purchased it and found it good, but nothing special, not particularly better than Felton Road or Serensin. I also see it regularly for sale in London, though never here in the US.

Am I missing something here? Is it like a Kistler thing where there are vineyard designated/reserves and THOSE are the really good ones? Or is it just hype?

I haven't really heard anything recently on the winery, or even reviews, though I did hear it got purchased by an American company.

Thanks!

Cheers,

Arvin(AJ)

[michel]

AJ
which year did you have?

Yes the winery has sold to the Americans and the founder Neil McCallum is staying (please excuse the spelling if it is incorrect).

I have tried the 96 97 99 they were like the essence of pinot fruit verging on being too extracted. More a dry red than pinot.

I have heard it alleged that there have been forged bottles.

michel

[Craig(NZ)]

Funny that it was a retailer who told you. Did he also have any to sell??

Dry River certainly has produced some of the most sublime bottles of wine to see a cork in New Zealand.

The pinots though have been a bit up and down and also havent really settled on a house style.

The '96 was certainly a stunner in a brawny black fruited manner. I still have one, it was certainly a wine to cellar. The 97 was underwelming for me though many liked it. The 98 was a dud. The 99 was certainly an excellent wine, very classy. The 00 was also very pretty though not sensational. Havent tried any other more recent examples. Its pushing $90 here.

They are a bit hard to get hold of and you have to be quick. The GW can be stunning, the riesling fine and classy.

Neil is certainly a proud and detailed winemaker.

Pinot is fickle wherever it is grown???? It is no different here. A lot of good wine but you search long and hard for a stunner

C.

[Curt ( NZ )]

I have drunk both the 94, 95 and tasted the latest release - 2002 in the last month or so. Also tried an another older vintage at a tasting, can not remember the vintage now. The 95 was an elegant wine, lovely nose, very good mouth feel, firmish acid, and still beautiful fruit. Some good pinot secondary character development as well. From my cellar, it was ready now but no rush - will hold for the next year or two. Rated Fine.
The 94 was more brawny, still quite primary and tight. Again good mouth feel. Still it was drinking nicely but for pinot it lacked the secondary development on the nose and palate that I look for. Again Rated Fine.
But I think it needs more time and I will not open another one for at least a year. As Craig has said their style of Pinot has been a bit up and down. The wine I tried at the tasting ( 99? ) was quite porty - a character common to Dry River for a while. I have been a fan of their wines for many years but felt they went through a general "bad patch" for a few years, at least, compared to their earlier consistintly excellent form.
The latest 2002 is a very good effort, quite similar to the 95 I thought (Rated Very Good + ) but has with all their wines it needs time.
Cheers !

[AJ]

AJ
which year did you have?

michel

I believe it was the 1997. If I recall correctly, I actually found it to be a pretty light pinot, somewhat like an old premier cru burgundy. Seemed ok, but that's about it.

But it sounds like the main reason to buy Dry River is for the whites, not for the syrah or pinot then?


Cheers,

AJ

[Ben]

AJ
which year did you have?

michel

I believe it was the 1997. If I recall correctly, I actually found it to be a pretty light pinot, somewhat like an old premier cru burgundy. Seemed ok, but that's about it.

But it sounds like the main reason to buy Dry River is for the whites, not for the syrah or pinot then?


Cheers,

AJ

AJ,

I have never tried a Pinot but if you get a chance to try a Dry River Shiraz I suggest you take it. I had bottle of 2001 and loved it.......great balance pepper, blackberries and blood plums on the nose. The fruit was more to fore in the mouth and it had acid and tannin to burn.

Ben

[Wycroft]

I think that like all of Neil's wines you'll find the pinot is immaculately made - this guy takes technological advance and attention to detail in the vineyard to absolute extremes - but his pinot noir is definitely, as was mentioned earlier, more his individual expression of the grape, which tends more toward an extracted claret style than "traditional" pinot noir. I fully agree with the suggestion that Dry River's Syrah be tracked down - it's a cracker, and Neil's riesling, gewurz, pinot gris and (often) chardonnay, not to mention occasional bottlings of unctuous dessert wine, are consistently among the country's very best. While the pinot noir is generally good, it's also a little ironic that it helped shape Dry River's reputation to the extent it did (this probably has quite a bit to do with being swept along with some high profile neighbours). It's very good wine, but in my opinion Neil's expression of the other afformentioned varietals is his real strong point. Many of these wines have very long cellaring windows and become ever more complex and enjoyable as the years roll by.

[AJ]

Greetings, once again:'

Thanks for the advice. Called the distributor and they have the syrah 2001 for $50 USD(I guess that's $80AUD or so), and the late harvest reisling for $30 USD($50AUD). Is that a fair price?

At that price I guess that would put it in line w/ some of the type Aussie shiraz.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Arvin(AJ)

[Ben]

I order a doz Syrah through a mob in WLG and it work out at $87 AUD a bottle.......once 180NZD freight was + plus 5% customs duty (on the value of wine and freight) + 29% WET + 10% GST. It's base value was about $45 NZD a bottle.

If you have the money buy a bottle and try it........if you like it buy some more an put it away for 5-7 years.