Wine Last Sold on: August 7, 2007
Akarua
Today's Featured Wine:
2003 Pinot Noir
| Varietal: | Pinot Noir |
| Vineyard: | Akarua |
| Region: | New Zealand: Central Otago |
| Total Allocation: | Cases Available |
| Avg. Price: | $40.00 |
| Wine Spies: | $28.00 |
The Winery Says:
The 2002 Akarua Pinot Noir recently swept the prestigious Air New Zealand wine awards, winning both the Pinot Noir trophy, and the Champion Wine in Show.
The 2003 has the grand honor of being the highest-rated New Zealand Pinot Noir of 2003!
The winery was established in 1996, and produced its first vintage three years later. The 2000 Pinot Noir was awarded the only gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit competition in London. The following year, the 2001 Pinot Noir earned a gold at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Akarua is located in Central Otago, a viticultural region which is rapidly gaining an international reputation for producing outstanding Pinot Noir. Sir Clifford Skeggs, owner of the winery, was among the first to make his claim in this budding region and hence has secured one of the finest vineyard sites. We think you will agree this is wine of tremendous quality and style.
The Wine Spies Say:
“Red Team, this is Central Command, do you read. Red Team, come in! White Team, have you heard from Red Team?”
“Negative Command. Last known position was somewhere near the Otago Vineyards of Akura Winery. Red Team feared imbibing on local award-winning Pinot Noir.”
“White Team, assume Red Team to be rogue – and possibly tipsy. Recommending an immediate extraction.”
“Negative Command, we are joining Red Team. This Pinot noir is too good to leave to them. White Team, OUT!”
Wow! We can see why this delicious Pinot Noir was New Zealand’s highest rated Pinot of 2003 (92 Points, Wine Spectator). Its velvety smooth and silky feel are ultra pleasing to the mouth, complimented by aromas of floral cherry, herbs, plum and jam pop-tarts. Low tannins and a long finish make this a wine that will please fans of juicy Syrahs and Pinot Noirs.
This is not a boring wine and it is not over oaked or over plummy like some wines of the region. At this price, make sure you pick up enough to cellar a few bottles as this is a wine that will improve with age.
“Come in agent. Join us on the patio, before our two teams finish off these bottles!”
Wine Spies Technical Brief
Cases Made: 3000
Cellar for: 3 to 12 years
Review
”Tangy, lively and remarkably generous with its pure blueberry, plum and explosively spicy aromas and flavors that burst across the palate. Has tremendous character, but it’s not excessively weighty. Yummy stuff.” – Wine Spectator
Average Wine Spy Points: |
Plus, Central Otago is where they filmed the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. If that's not a good enough reason to buy a wine, I don't know what is.
In short: I love this wine. Love it. Did I mention that I love it? (ahem) This really is a great wine. I loved its velvety feel and was dearly disappointed that everyone I was tasting with loved it as much as I did. It didn't last long.
Agent Red Says: We encourage you to share your reviews and comments about this wine. If you need help scoring or using tasting tags, click on the help links on the form. You’ll also earn more Spy Points for each review you submit.
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