Akarua Pinot Noir - Historical tasting

2009 - Softer more elegant bouquet with aromas and flavours of brown spices, preserved cherry fruits and earthy spices. Fine integrated tannins, still has a nice acid line. Integrated, balanced, youthful, fine. Delicious. If this wine is still in your cellar - it’s time to drink - aim to finish the last bottle by end of 2022. 94 Points

2011 - Young, fresh, vibrant - plenty of cherry fruits and a layer of softer herbs notes, moderate oak layers - still quite young . Tense, firm tannins and acidity, still with primary fruit, plenty of tension and poise, floral, primary. A bit shorter on the finish than expected. Lovely still and will continue to age well. best drinking 2021 through 2024+. 93 Points

2012 - Delicately perfumed, roses and pressed roses, fine baking spices of oak, feels a bit warmer, but overall - a lovely wine to try again in 2 years. Best drinking if you have any left in your cellar - 2021 through 2024. 93 Points

2013 - Integrating and still developing with aromas of fresh red berries, raspberry, dried raspberry and plum. Primary, youthful, fresh. Lovely core and complexity. Lovely concentration, texture and finesse, vibrato;. Delicious concentrated with a lovely texture, freshness and length. Drinking window is from today and through 2025+. 95 Points

2014 - Stop and listen to the voice of this wine - spice, soil, primary, youthful, loads of poise, tension and finesse. Raspberry and fresh red apple, fine to coarse silk tannins and med+ acidity still. Needs time. Best from late 2021 through 2027+. 96 Points

2015 - Balanced, fresh, youthful, fine, seems a touch more integrated on the nose. More complete on the palate in terms of seamless connections between fruit and oak flavours and textures. Youthful, still coming into its final balance. Lengthy. Best drinking from late 2021 through 2028. 95 Points

2016 - Soft, pretty, quite elegant and pure. Some five spice form the fruit then tension and youth from the wood and coolness of the region. There's a wild side that transitions to a softness and complexity from some more regional dried herb notes, balanced and judicious use of oak. Lovely acidity and tension. A wine to watch. 94 Points

2017 - Dark berries, very primary bouquet with freeze-dried raspberry, very floral, spicy toastier oak, No mistaking the concentration of fruit and vibrancy. Med++ acidity, almost in balance - this will likely show sometime in 2021/2022, still very youthful with lots of tension, freshness and length. Best drinking from late 2021 through 2026+. 94 Points

2018 - Elegant and innocently pure with a floral and red fruit aromas and flavours, safe, calm. Lighter weight wine with a completeness, consistent flavours and textures, purity and length. A well made wine and perhaps more ready than other vintages. Will cellar well. 95 Points

2019 - Concentrated, urgent and enticing bouquet. Aromas and flavours of raspberry, dark berries, plums, dark violets and roses. Fantastic bouquet and palate - reflect each other. A core of fruit, oak is almost un-noticed in flavour of core of fruit - site, clone, power. Fine tannins, abundant, great acid line. Really fantastic wine. Best drinking - late 2022 through 2030. 96 Points