Valli Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

VALLI is the personal vocation of pioneering winemaker Grant Taylor. Grant’s name is synonymous with Otago Pinot Noir. He has been crafting wines there since 1993 when there were only 20 ha planted – today there are over 2000. Grant founded VALLI in 1998 with the intention to produce single vineyard Pinot Noirs highlighting the different characteristics of Otago’s sub regions. More than 20 years later, VALLI is doing just that, producing single-vineyard pinot noirs from Gibbston, Bannockburn, and Bendigo in Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley in North Otago, as well as a dry Pinot Gris from Gibbston and a Riesling from Waitaki. In 2015, established Otago winemaker Jen Parr joined Grant in the winery, where the two aim to create wines with honesty, integrity, and most of all, a sense of place. When you drink a Valli wine, you are enjoying more than just a wine: you are experiencing a place.

Gibbston is one of the coolest sub regions of Otago, has one of the slowest ripening seasons. A key factor in quality Pinot Noir from such a cool area is long hang time, that is, the amount of time the grapes are on the vine; this allows them to develop elegance and complexity of flavour. The grapes for the Valli Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 were handpicked before being fermented with 22% whole bunch fruit in French oak (32% new oak) for 11 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Valli Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 has a bright garnet hue with fresh flavours of cherry, raspberry, and sweet red apple mingled with intriguing scents of lilac, rosemary, pink peppercorn, and graphite.  The wine has a heady perfume of delicate spice, florals, and ripe red fruit that delivers so intensely, making the elegant purity of the palate a wonderful segue.  The glowing acidity is in perfect harmony with the supple texture creating a persistent and dynamic flow that gives the sensation of wine dancing in the glass.  Often the cooler growing seasons capture the true essence of Gibbston - this vintage articulates the poise, grace, and uniqueness of Pinot Noir from this tiny sub-region, when words simply fall short. Drink now until 2033.

Complex and seductive bouquet with scents of fallen leaves and dried wild herbs, roses and cherries, mineral and spiced with oak and a savoury quality. Even better on the palate – texture and barrel spices, a gentle savoury herb quality, some vanilla nd dusty clove spices and a leesy nutty quality. Complex and lengthy. Chalky textured tannins and medium+ acidity set the foundation while layers of red berries and wild flowers layer in breadth and depth. Delicious, complex and ready to enjoy from 2023 through 2030+. – Cameron Douglas MS, 96 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal -  Pinot Noir
Country - New Zealand
Region - Central Otago 
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.0%