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97 / 100, Sam Kim

“Seductive and immensely complex, the enticing bouquet shows dark berry, dried porcini, warm spice and cedar characters. The palate exhibits outstanding concentration and depth, gracefully framed by rich texture and beautifully melded tannins. Plush and seamless with an impressively long, expansive finish. At its best: now to 2036.”



96 / 100, Cameron Douglas

“Complex, pure and enticing bouquet of mineral chalky soils and ripe fruits of dried raspberry and dark cherry, boysenberry and soft dried herbs suggesting sage and thyme. The use of oak is specific and precise with scents of mostly new barrel with some older. As the wine touches the palate the flavours of oak strike first then give way to the core fruit and mineral flavours from the bouquet then dried herb and savoury complexities. There’s a tautness to the palate with an abundance of polished tannins and barrel spice, plenty of acidity and a complex finish. A wine for the cellar with best drinking likely from 2028 through 2038+.”



95 / 100, Bob Campbell

“Dense, intense pinot noir with cherry/berry, spicy/smoky oak, cassis, and a lingering fruity finish. Tight, compact wine with pleasing layers and a taut structure that shows exciting bottle maturation potential. Drink now – 2031”



19/20 (95 points), Candice Chow

“Deep crimson with a hint of purple, lighter on the rim. The bouquet is captivating, with sweet and delicate aromas of cherry, raspberry, floral, herb and savoury attributes. Medium-bodied, aromas of Morello cherry and raspberry entwined with cherry blossom, cinnamon, thyme, hibiscus tea and black pepper. A chalky mineral texture coats the palate along with silky tannins braided with lacy acidity, carrying a refined, extended, mesmerising finish. Match with duck breast and suckling pig over the next 10 years. Clones 115, 667, 777, UCD6 and Abel, handpicked, fermented to 13.5% alc, aged 15 months in Burgundy barrels, 20% new oak.”

NZ$60.00 per 750ml bottle

☆☆☆☆☆ 19/20 (95 points) Raymond Chan
"Bright, pale yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is elegant and soft, crunchy minerals, pear, yellow stonefruit intermix wildflower and honey. Medium-bodied, Nashi pear and nectarines have a pure expression, interweave lemon sherbet, lemon zest, unfolding white floral and honey nuances. A subtle sweetness nicely balances acidity, lingers with zesty freshness and adds interest. Oily texture mouthfeel adorned by a very fine powdery, chalky line, carry the wine to linearity. This is an elegant Pinot Gris with purity, posied details and mineral seduction. Match with pork belly bao buns and pan-fried fish over the next 6 years. Fruit is from Clos Ostler vineyard, handpicked, whole bunch pressed to tank for cold settling for 2 days, racked to tank and barrel for fermentation with selected yeast. 13.8% alc,
3.8 g/l RS.

☆☆☆☆☆christine
Michael Cooper

The striking 2020 vintage (5*) was estate-grown in the Clos Ostler vineyard and partly barrel-fermented. Bright, light lemon/green, it is richly scented, mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, with concentrated, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, threaded with appetising acidity, and a very harmonious, dry (3.8 grams/litre of residual sugar), lasting finish. A delicious wine with layers of flavour, it should be at its best 2023+.

95 points
Cameron Douglas

Tasted back in May and again on September 4th, 2021. This wine is still fantastic, in fact better.

Fantastic bouquet with aromas of chalky mineral and white fleshed fruits, flowers and a complex lees autolysis. There’s a distinctive memory of Alsace grand cru quality about this wine. On the palate - silky, polished, ripe, fleshy and varietal with flavours that mirror the nose, medium+ acidity, some white spice and mineral leading to a complex harmonious finish. A delicious wine ready to drink upon purchase and through 2025+ Outstanding.

NZ$120.00 per 750ml bottle
NZ$240.00 for magnum size bottle

97/100 points, Sam Kim / Wine Orbit

Immensely complex and seductive, the bouquet shows dark berry, bouquet garni, game, dried mushroom and toasted nut aromas. It's superbly concentrated on the palate delivering outstanding depth and breath, combined with seamless texture and beautifully infused tannins. Symphonic and engaging with an impressively long gratifying finish. At its best: now to 2035.



95/100, Bob Campbell MW / The Real Review

Elegant, seamless pinot noir with oyster shell, savoury/dried herbs, anise/spice and violet flavours.

Silken-textured wine that can be appreciated now but has good potential to develop with bottle age.



19+/20 pts (96 pts) Candice Chow

Deep ruby-red, even colour throughout. This has a delicate bouquet with aromas of bright floral, intermixed cranberry, cherry, tamarillo and savoury, earthy elements. Medium-bodied, aromas of cherry entwined with dried cranberry, unfolding tamarillo, hibiscus, herbs, mushroom and earthy notes. The wine shows purity of fruit, complex developed layers and lovely concentration. Integrated, lacy acidity elevates and lengthens to a hauntingly beautiful linger. This refined Pinot Noir possesses elegant layers of fruit, floral and earthy development, and persists to a long finish. Match with roasted quail and truffle risotto over the next 8 years.

NZ$120.00 per 750ml bottle
NZ$240.00 for magnum size bottle

96 points, Cameron Douglas

“Elegant, complex, very sophisticated, varietal and loaded with pinosity. Aromas and flavours of cherry and chalk, roses and wood spices, strawberry and sweet plum, fine lees and toasty barrel spice. Wonderful texture from chalky tannins and medium+ acidity, contrasting core of fruit and long complex finish. A completely delicious wine, perfect on its own and ideal with food. Best drinking upon purchase and through 2026+.”

18.5+/20 Points, Raymond Chan

“Deep, medium ruby-red with a dark-garnet hue, even throughout. This wine has an elegant and penetrating bouquet, with good-depth and savoury aromas of cherries, red berries, entwined with complexing nuances of dark herbs, mushrooms, spices and gamey underlay. Medium-full bodied, with an elegant structure frame, red cherries, red berries are succulent, interweave savoury mushroom and dark herbs. Complexing earthy undergrowth and gamey nuances are developing, subtly penetrating in the background. The mouthfeel is lively with lacy acidity, follows a fine, velvety tannin extraction which is in its youth, will mellow over time. This is a sophisticated and complex Pinot Noir at youth, with nuances of savoury fruit, complexing flavours of herbs, mushrooms and earthiness on a velvety fine-grained tannin extraction. Match with venison loin and lamb over the next 5-8 years. Serve decanted. Unfined and unfiltered.”

PAST VINTAGE
*NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR SALE*

98 points, Ray Jordan
“The finest new world pinot I have tasted.”

97 points, Huon Hooke
“Deep, bright purple/red colour, much more saturated colour than earlier Ostler pinots. The aroma is fresh and bright, with loads of black plum and black cherry flavours and aromas. There is a higher level of concentration here, with excellent ripeness and textbook fruit character. Oak is very background: the fruit does the talking. But the wine is very young and demands a little extra time for best results. Intense fruit with firm but measured tannins, and a long, harmonious carry. A gorgeous, elegant but profound pinot that will do much to cement the reputation of this budding region. (To be released in a year's time. The extra year will only do it good.) 15/9/2017”

97 points, Sam Kim
“An outstanding wine of exceptional balance and harmony; the richly expressed bouquet shows Black Doris plum, spiced cherry, hazelnut, olive, cake spice and smoked meat characters, followed by an impressively concentrated palate that’s mouthfilling and delicious. It’s stacked with ripe fruit flavours and velvety texture, together with savoury nuances, making it gratifying and mesmerising. At its best: now to 2030.”

96 points IWC gold Medal
“This wine is one of NZ's top 10 Pinot Noirs. Described as Chambolle-Musigny like by Matt Kramer of Wine Spectator, it has won some of the world's most important awards.”

International Wine Challenge (IWC).

“This is the sixth consecutive Caroline’s vintage to have been awarded a gold medal since the 2010 vintage in this annual wine competition dubbed ‘The Oscars of the Wine World’.

96 points, Bob Campbell

“Dense, ripe and vibrant pinot noir with dark berry, cherry, liquorice, anise, plum and classy oak flavours. An impressive wine with power and potential, although it is deliciously drinkable now. It has an impeccable balance and a tantalisingly lengthy finish.”

96 Points, Cameron Douglas

“Fantastic bouquet of limestone minerals, ripe red berry fruit and Pinosity.
Layers of red berry fruits interwoven with oak spice and floral tones; no
mistaking the influences of oak - well measure and appropriate. Dry, firm
and youthful with a core of red bery flavours, fine to moderate tannins and
plenty of acidity. The minerality punches through - tempered by oak and
flavour. Lengthy finish. A fine wine. Drink from release through 2026.”

19/20 pts Aug 2020, Raymond Chan

Bright, light ruby-red with a garnet hue, even throughout. The nose is gently full, attractive fragrances of florals, herbs melded with cranberries, cherries and a very fine undertone of earthy minerals and a light dusting of spices. Medium-bodied, the wine has the purity of fruit and well-defined layer flavours of vibrant cranberries and red cherries, along with blossoms and fresh herbs; layered with delicate black pepper spices and underlying earth and mineral nuances. The wine has good tension, shows vitality and youth, full of delicate interests. The palate is light and bright with a silky, chalky tannin line, and lacy acidity lends a long lingering finish, immensely pleasurable. This is an elegant Pinot Noir with flavours of red fruit, good acid tension and delicate interests on a silky-fine palate. Match with roasted quail and crispy skin duck over the next 6-8 years.

92 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The medium to full-bodied 2016 Caroline's Pinot Noir features ripe notes of cola, plum and black cherry but also fresh floral elements of rose petals and hints of thyme. The tannins are supple up front, then turn dustier on the finish, where subtle spice shadings appear and linger. This is as convincing an argument I've tasted for this little-known portion of Otago. (JC) 92+”

92 points, Wine Spectator
“Lush and rich, with sink-your-teeth-into-them flavors of ripe black cherry and blackberry, accents of vanilla and sage, and a whiff of caramel. The tannins are plush and supple, the finish complex.”