The Auswine Forum

2002 Old Weka Pass Road Pinot Noir: extracted, tough, hot ; not pleasant.

Terra Vin Pinot Noir 2002: ordinary is being polite. Shit. Unfortunately not the Anthony Hanson complimentary way.

The Mount Pinot Noir 2002 (formerly Mountford and also from Canterbury): a light very pretty and vibrant wine. Attractive.

Dog Point Pinot Noir 2002 (Marlborough) Tasted now 3 times. First time at the DP release: good, almost there. Great first effort;
2nd time in this tasting. OK;bit overoaked too savoury for its fruit which is a weird way of saying not quite in balance: flavour profile skewed.
3rd tasting later same day with 2002 Quartz Reeef and 2002 Two Paddocks: better than those (which hold consistent notes of being too rich, too alcoholic and the latter all out of whack). It's is ok-good.

Murdoch James Estate Fraser Block 2002 : Not bad. Allright.

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002: WOW! By a mile the wine of the tasting and would rate in the top 3 of NZ 2002 I have tasted, if not top. Beautiful balance and structure, long and attractive. Athletic build: Not a sprinter, but perhaps a diver; a pole vaulter: you know a feminine athlete,rather than a power athlete.

Neville K wrote:2002 Old Weka Pass Road Pinot Noir: extracted, tough, hot ; not pleasant.

Terra Vin Pinot Noir 2002: ordinary is being polite. Shit. Unfortunately not the Anthony Hanson complimentary way.

The Mount Pinot Noir 2002 (formerly Mountford and also from Canterbury): a light very pretty and vibrant wine. Attractive.

Dog Point Pinot Noir 2002 (Marlborough) Tasted now 3 times. First time at the DP release: good, almost there. Great first effort;
2nd time in this tasting. OK;bit overoaked too savoury for its fruit which is a weird way of saying not quite in balance: flavour profile skewed.
3rd tasting later same day with 2002 Quartz Reeef and 2002 Two Paddocks: better than those (which hold consistent notes of being too rich, too alcoholic and the latter all out of whack). It's is ok-good.

Murdoch James Estate Fraser Block 2002 : Not bad. Allright.

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2002: WOW! By a mile the wine of the tasting and would rate in the top 3 of NZ 2002 I have tasted, if not top. Beautiful balance and structure, long and attractive. Athletic build: Not a sprinter, but perhaps a diver; a pole vaulter: you know a feminine athlete,rather than a power athlete.

Neville

I tasted the TerraVin at the NZ Wine show in Brisbane and put it high up in the Pinot's for the day. Also liked the 3 Murdoch James Pinot's. I had the Ata Rangi just two weeks ago and thought it was sensational.

Others that I spoke to at the NZ show also thought the TerraVin was good. So based on my thoughts and reading your notes I wonder if the TerraVin sample you tried was seriously off.

Just my cents worth.

Graham

I tasted the TerraVin at the NZ Wine show in Brisbane and put it high up in the Pinot's for the day. Also liked the 3 Murdoch James Pinot's. I had the Ata Rangi just two weeks ago and thought it was sensational.

Others that I spoke to at the NZ show also thought the TerraVin was good. So based on my thoughts and reading your notes I wonder if the TerraVin sample you tried was seriously off.

Graham,
The bottle was not corked, or off.

Rather to my palate, I found it completely undistinguished: rustic, earthy, closed, rough around the edges, spirity.Big.

One aspect I have noticed with NZ pinots in particular is that they can be quite polarising. Many tasters are attracted to the turbo fuelled largesse, especially present in 2002 that can equate with shiraz weight and structure. Some like 'em big. Others crave finesse.

For my money I want silk; a long elegant train that follows with complexity and contradiction; i.e.; How can such power brood in something so delicate.

However, some pinots have almost universal appeal around the median which may account for accord at Ata Rangi.

We might just have different preferences. I noticed it with many commentators' reviews of the Central Otago 2002s. I thought they must have been tasting different wines to the ones I was presented with.

I think you cannot readily accept reviews of these wines without knowing the palate bias.

Neville

All I really wanted to say was that your review of these pinot's were similar to my own with one difference. Maybe just put it down to bottle ariation?

I think that I need to look more at the clones that are used. It seems that the ones I like are using the same clones. Adds another problem to selecting pinot's when I prefer shiraz and should probably stay there and drink the Ata Rangi when someone pours it for me.

Graham