EOS Pinot Noir 2022
97 points, Sam Kim
Wonderfully fruited and enticing, the bouquet shows dark plum, smoked game, tapenade, porcini, and roasted nut aromas. The concentrated palate delivers plump mouthfeel and velvety texture, splendidly framed by seamlessly woven tannins, making it opulent with grace and poise. At its best: now to 2037.
96 Points, Raymond Chan
Light ruby-red with a tinge of garnet, slightly lighter on the rim. It has a lifted, rich bouquet with aromas of plum, cherry, mulberry, rose, spice, and undergrowth. Medium-bodied, with aromas of plum and mulberry entwined with black cherry, unveiling rose, forest floor, cinnamon, and nutmeg. There's depth to the flavour, supported by enlivening acidity, rippling on a linear, enticing flow. Silky, refined tannins provide structure and layer, lending a lengthy, graceful finish. This Pinot Noir is elegant and graceful yet powerful and precise. Match with stuffed pigeon and duck breast over the next 10+ years. Handpicked, clones 667, 777 predominant, fermented to 14.39% alc. 19+/20 pts (96 pts) Apr 2025.
96 Points, Candice Chow
Rich aromas of plum, mulberry, black cherry, rose, forest floor, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dijon clones 667 and 777 predominant, exhibiting richness and depth of savoury layers over seductive fruit and rose, adorning a silky tannin structure and an enticing acidity, carrying a lengthy, graceful finish.
95 Points, Cameron Douglas
Ripe and pure fruited with a core of red berry fruits and limestone soil scents. As the wine opens out in the glass, the earthy signature increases. Aromas of fine oak barrels and concentration of fruit show that this wine is youthful and highly energised. Dry, taut, and youthful squeeze on the palate, with flavours of cherry and raspberry, along with a strawberry compote note, then clay and limestone, oak spice, and focus. An abundance of fine tannins and a backbone of acidity frame the palate nicely. Lengthy and well-made, with the best drinking from 2029 through 2035+.
95 points, Stephen Wong
Floral and sweet; clouds of perfumed nutty, vanilla oak surround the rotating cast of dark cherry, plum and raspberry. A soft, plush, primary anise-spiced berry confit forms the core of this crystalline, pretty pinot noir. Not a blockbuster and no more than mid-weight, the pure and precise fruit is framed by light, powdery tannins before giving way to milk chocolate and spice. It can be approached now for charming delicacy but most of its intrigue will remain hidden, and it will need several years before it reveals its innate complexity. Best drinking 2025–2039
Climate
La Niña’s weather patterns left a distinct mark on the 2022 season in the Waitaki Valley. A warm, generous spring brought about even budburst, with little interruption from traditional spring frosts. This year’s energy came from a milder, wetter easterly flow, avoiding the harsh westerlies we often see. Flowering was cooler and wetter, reducing crop weights and berry size – key to building concentration. Summer temperatures remained mild, preserving acidity and resulting in small, intensely flavoured berries. A sublime, dry autumn allowed for harvest in near-perfect conditions.
The 2022 vintage marks the inaugural release of EOS Pinot Noir – a wine shaped by the season’s restraint and the clarity of our site. Deep and darkly brooding, it exudes intensity with a luscious core of Doris plum, mulberry, and cassis. These fruit notes are layered with subtle spice, hints of anise and black pepper. The palate is rich and complex, with impressive depth and finely grained tannins that shape a bold yet harmonious finish. A wine of power and intrigue, revealing new layers with every sip. EOS makes its debut, derived from the same site and plantings as Caroline’s Pinot Noir, yet expressing a distinct stylistic identity.