Loveblock Pinot Noir 2015
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#42 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2018
The color is a deep, dark crimson. Aromas are big and rich, with sweet berry fruits, earthy mushroom, and hints of tobacco. On the palate is fleshy black plum, with layers of cherry and sweet berries that play on the palate and dance with notes of violet. Dry tannins and hints of cigar makes this a versatile wine to pair with turkey, salmon, lamb, and beef.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and creamy, with clove-scented notes of black cherry, plum and licorice that are vibrant and expressive, while intriguing details of forest floor and fresh herb linger, adding another dimension. Shows terrific harmony on the finish. Drink now through 2028.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: Anyone who knows Kim Crawford, understands that he is a serious winemaker. The 2015 Loveblock Pinot Noir is one of the more complex and firmer efforts from this growing region. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows an excellent palate presence and complex nuances. Its aromas and flavors of red and black fruit combined with savory spices should pair it deliciously with an Irish stew. (Tasted: November 1, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from the Central Otago subregion of Bendigo, the 2015 Pinot Noir was only partially matured in oak. It's a dark-fruited wine that's reminiscent of cola and plums yet not overly weighty or rich. This medium to full-bodied wine finishes with a fine dusting of velvety tannins, making it approachable now.
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Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Home to the globe’s most southerly vineyards, which are cultivated below the 45th parallel, Central Otago is a true one-of-a-kind wine growing region, but not only because of its extreme location.
Central Otago is more dependent on one single variety than any other region in New Zealand—and it isn’t Sauvignon blanc. They don’t even make Sauvignon blanc there.
Pinot Noir claims nearly 75% of the region’s vineyards with Pinot Gris coming in a far second place and Riesling behind it. This is also New Zealand’s only wine region with a continental climate, giving it more diurnal and seasonal temperature shifts than any other.
The subregion of Bannockburn has enjoyed the most success historically but the area’s exceptional growth has moved to the promising regions of Cromwell/Bendigo and Alexandra districts. Central Otago is known for its fruity and full-bodied Pinot noir. With the freedom to experiment here, growers and winemakers are easily exhibiting the area’s great potential.