1998 Martinborough Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir. What a privilege to drink a bottle of this wine. It is such a rock star, and part of New Zealand Pinot Noir lore. Many, many New Zealand Pinot Noir’s can be extremely good but few attain the completeness offered by top Burgundy, the world benchmark for this variety. Many are too alcoholic, too jammy and most noticeably I think lack the true structure and depth of a great wine.

Still dark ruby red and purple in the glass. Initially there are aromas of red plum, char and savoury smoke. Once sitting in the glass for a while, the fruit comes to the fore, the complexity is amazing. This wine is a big wine. On the palate it is authorative, immediately showing fine invading tannins wrapping layers of red plum fruit. It is a weighty wine with layers of depth. At eleven years it seems in no way declining. A marvel. A truly great New Zealand wine 101/109