Lisa Perotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com, November 2010, Rippon Emma's Block Pinot Noir 2008
"P
ale ruby color and pretty floral character, plus a
fragrant earthiness over restrained red currant and cherry fruit. Tight-knit, rich with a medium
to firm level of silky, seductive tannins, medium-high acid and a long finish, this is a wine of
profound concentration. It needs another year at least in bottle is should be best approached
2012 to 2017." 93 points
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Lisa Perotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com, November 2010, Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir 2008 "
The 2008 Pinot Noir gives earthy red cherry and red currant
fruit aromas with some moss and forest floor. The palate is seamlessly crafted with a medium body, medium-high acid, medium level of grainy tannins and a long finish. Drink it 2011 to 2015." 91 points
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Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com, February 2010, Rippon Tinker's Field Pinot Noir 2008 "Beautifully perfumed and aromatic with subtly sappy cherry fruit. The palate is elegant and pure with open fruit backed up by good structure. Serious effort." 94/100
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Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com, February 2010, Rippon Emma's Block Pinot Noir 2008 "Very focused fresh spicy, Burgundian nose with dark cherries and hints of earth. The palate has some sweetness, a bit of structure and it's beautifully expressive and complex." 95/100
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Jamie Goode, wineanorak.com, September 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2008 "Fresh, bright, elegant cherry fruit nose with some minerality and gently sappy character. The palate is smooth and elegant with bright berry fruit and fresh cherry notes with some spicy structure. Very fine mineral notes here. Light style but still lots of flavour." 94/100
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Tom Cannavan, winepages.com, September 2010, Rippon, Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007 "Lovely brown sugar nose, supremely sweet black fruit with a lovely creaminess and touch of gamy, truffly quality. The palate has lovely fruit: edgy and offset by delicate notes of cherry skins and tart acidity. Delicious wine." 91/100.
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Tom Cannavan, winepages.com, September 2010, Rippon, Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008 "Creamy, sweet and open, with delicious fruit sweetness and openness. An orangy brightness to the palate and acidity, tangy with a suggestion of chocolaty richness." 91/100.
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Tom Cannavan, winepages.com, September 2010, Rippon, Central Otago Pinot Noir 'Emma's Block' 2008 "Lots of richness and ripeness again here, but also a leafy, damp undergrowth quality, the palate adding a silky sweetness and extra layering of flavours to the regular Pinot. The fruit is nutty and fine, with lovely definiton and such a wonderful sense of precision." 93/100.
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Tom Cannavan, winepages.com, September 2010, Rippon, Central Otago Pinot Noir 'Tinker's Field' 2008 "Fabulous creaminess here, a real silky impression on the nose but complex too, the coffeeish oak and more truffly, vegetal characters playing against the thick sweetness of the fruit. Quite a tight character on the palate, beautiful fruit definition, fabulous richness and sweetness, with terrific chocolaty density and suppleness to the tannins. Massively impressive." 95/100.
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Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Issue 9, 2010, Rippon Jeunesse (Young Vine) Riesling 2009 "Delicate and fine on the nose displaying apple, grapefruit and chalky mineral characters. It's concentrated and vibrant on the palate showing an elegantly textured mouthfeel, crisp acidity and subtle sweetness. The wine is bright and youthful with beautifully flowing texture." 92 Points
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Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Issue 9, 2010, Rippon Tinker's Field Pinot Noir 2008 "I wonder how much it would cost to buy a Burgundy of equivalent quality to this exceptional single vineyard Pinot: several hundred dollars I would think. From a gently sloping, north-facing parcel where Rippon's oldest vines are found, this glorious wine is intriguing and most gratifying. The bouquet is ripe and hauntingly fragrant displaying red/black cherry, game, truffle and floral characters. It's superbly concentrated on the palate showing sensuously smooth texture and loads of fine tannins. A wine of considerable presence and character." 96 Points
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Josh Greene, Wine and Spirits, Fall 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2007 "Central Otago pinot noir vines, protected from the Roaring Forties by the snow-capped Main Divide, often ripen into bold, 14.5% alcohol wines. Rippon, at high elevation hard against a glacier lake, risks late season frost that would destroy the crop; Nick Mills's sensitive farming holds his family's vines in a delicate balance that yields this multilayered pinot noir at 13% alcohol."
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 2 June 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2008 "A harmonious, concentrated wine with dark fruits, hints of herbs, spices and chocolate, and underlying savoury oak, with a long, textural finish."
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Michael Cooper, New Zealand Listener, May-June 2010, Rippon Tinker's Field Pinot Noir 2008 "... from the oldest vines on the property, barrel aged for 17 months and bottled without fining or filtration, this is a full-coloured wine with concentrated ripe flavours that are cherryish, spicy, savoury and complex, and a firm foundation of tannin. Sturdy and youthful it is built to last. " 5 stars
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David Lawrason, Toronto Life, May 27 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2007 "Hardy, seamless wine likes this one are catapulting Otago onto the list of the world's greatest Pinot Noir zones. Using grapes from a biodynamically farmed site on the shores of Lake Wanaka... the palate is effortlessly elegant and the finish has a beguiling touch of minerality from the gravel soils" 95 points.
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Gregory Walter, Pinot Report, Issue 64, April 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2007 “…stewed cherry aromas; rich, ripe…spice and earthy notes; a bit of tannin and toasty oak; good structure and balance; long finish. Deep, complex Pinot with a lot of life ahead.” Score 96
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 28 April 2010, Rippon Riesling 2009 “Floral aromas and ripe fruit contrast with the steely structure that races through this wine… despite this it's a delicate wine with a lingering finish and great potential for development.” 4 stars
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Tyson Stelzer, Glass, April 2010, Rippon Emma’s Block 2008 “These are some of the oldest vines in the region… There is great expression to its flavours of black cherries, spice, pepper and dark chocolate. It’s a captivating interplay of supple richness, texture and restraint.” Points 96
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Tyson Stelzer, Glass, April 2010, Rippon Pinot Noir 2008 ''Rippon’s estate Pinot Noir is made from vines of a minimum of fifteen years of age. Add this to the uniqueness of the site and the talent of Nick Mills, and you begin to understand its calm, restrained black fruits, mouth-filling texture and precise black cherry and plum fruit. Tannins are graphite-fine and a lingering black pepper flavour is characteristic of this remarkable site.'' Points 96
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Jo Burzynska, New Zealand Herald, 1 April 2010, Rippon Emma's Block 2008 "An exciting new pinot from the pioneering Central Otago estate... It's an elegant wine with an understated power to its palate that's chiselled by an edgy acidity and flinty minerality supported by beguiling cherry and raspberry fruit and exotic peppery spice."
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Eric Asimov, New York Times, 17 February 2010 [tasting of NZ Wines] “Our number one wine, 2007 Rippon Pinot Noir was lovely, graceful and structured…”
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Bob Campbell, Gourmet Traveller Wine, December 2009 - January 2010 2007 Rippon Pinot Noir "Intense and beautifully structured wine with a peacock's tail of subtle darkfrit and spice flavours that are most clearly evident on the wine's lingering finish. Texturally brilliant - dense and velvety. Classy oak is woven into the wine's powerful fruit" 96 points
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Jo Burzynska, New Zealand Herald, 11 November 2009 “Rippon Pinot Noir 2007: tiny yields in 2007 have resulted in a particularly concentrated pinot from Rippon. It’s a veritable schist fist in a velvety glove that starts with soft and subtle notes of plush cherry underpinned by savoury and spice and builds on a wave of fresh acidity to a powerful flinty crescendo.”
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Matthew Jukes, Decanter, November 2009, Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 "With a radically different palate and trailblazing approach to authenticity and sustainability, Rippon does what few can manage by making a totally fascinating recipe actually taste really bloody good. Thunderous fruit is matched by infinitesimal terroir detail – mesmerising and uncompromising in equal measure.”
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Neal Martin, erobertparker.com & Wine Advocate #184, September 2009, Rippon Pinot Noir 2007 "Nick Mills has rapidly become one of the most feted producers in Central Otago, continuing to apply biodynamic principles to his 15 ha vineyard in Wanaka. His 2007 Rippon Pinot Noir had a bouquet cut from the same cloth as the 2006, embracing a sense of minerality that is rare in Central Otago... As usual there is wonderful definition. The palate is medium-bodied with very find tannins, good acidity, real tension and a sense of weightlessness towards the redcurrant and cherry infused finish. Nice persistency and leaving a gleeful tingle on the tongue. This is another great Pinot from Nick; a worthy follow-up to his splendid 2006" 92 points
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 2 September 2009, Rippon Jeunesse Riesling 2008 "A wonderfully textural wine, complex with hints of lime marmalade and buttered toast, a firm backbone that suggests mineral and toffee, and a long, finish. Off-dry, stylish and very drinkable.” 4 stars
“Rippon Riesling 2008, More complex than the Jeunesse, this also suggests nuts, toffee and lime marmalade on buttered toast, with a hint of nuts and a lovely richness that belies the steely searingly dry backbone. Delicious now but will develop with bottle age.” 4 stars
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Nick Ryan, Gourmet Traveller Wine, March 2009, Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 "One of the region's real stars A finely etched, beautifully detailed wine that reveals ever deepening layers of complexity in the glass. The story of some pretty special soil sings through this wine."
"[Nick] Mills has a deep, almost spiritual, connection to the vineyard and that's reflected in his wines. They have a level of detail etched into them that few can match. If pinot noir tells the story of site more than most varieties, then the narrative that comes through Mills' wine is suitably dramatic and compelling."
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Matthew Jukes, Decanter, November 2009 " Rippon Pinot Noir 2006: With a radically different palate and trailblazing approach to authenticity and sustainability, Rippon does what few can manage by making a totally fascinating recipe actually taste really bloody goodd. Thunderous fruit is matched by infinitesimal terroir details - mesmerising and uncompromising in equal measure."
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Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine, July 2009 " 2007 Rippon Pinot Noir: Brooding dark mineral aromas. Terrific precision and tightly sprung acidity, this is a profound step forward for the Otago pinot"
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Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, March 2009, Rippon Pinot Noir 2007 "Very rich nose and luscious fruit. Good balance and much more obviously powerful on the nose than the 2006. Dances on the palate. Fine dry minerally finish..."
Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 "Light, fairly animal nose. Lively finish. Dry undertow. Lots of minerally stuff going on underneath. Quite tightly furled. "
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Neal Martin, erobertparker.com, Wine Advocate #176, April 30 2008, Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 "The stunning Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 is a realisation of everything I suspect Rolfe dreamt of when planting the first vines in the early 1980s... this wine is distinguished by its spine tingling tension and tautness on the palate. It ethereal balance and intensity of fruit suggest this could easily age over 10+ years" 95 points
"The real excitement starts with the Rippon Pinot Noir 2004, one of the stars of the vintage... It is graced with a beautiful sophisticated nose with light red cherries, rose petals and even a touch of musk. A caressing mouthfeel and with an effortless quality to it, this is a serious Pinot Noir that rekindled memories of those glorious Burgundy 2005s!" 95 points
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Warren Barton, The Dominion Post, April 12, 2008, Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 “Could be the finest yet made by Nick Mills from vines that are now 25 years old- vibrant cherried fruit with the sort of earthiness you’d expect from soil enriched with love.”
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Philip Rich, Australian Financial Review, March 2008, Rippon Pinot Noir 2006 "Nick Mills... has made one of the best Rippon pinots (Rippon Pinot Noir 2006) in years. Dark cherry fruit, a touch of lifted complexity and some earthiness lead onto a palate that is perfectly balanced. A terrific candidate for at least another 5 years in the cellar"
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Jo Burzynska, NZ Herald, July 25 2007 “Great Pinot Noir takes you on a journey thought its subtle layers of flavours. Rippon’s (2005 Pinot Noir) follows a firm thread of acidity that travels across savoury dark notes… and finishes in a mineral dimension”
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Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine, July 2007, Rippon Pinot Noir 2005 “Rippon’s wines capture an expression of the vineyard’s spectacular site on the banks of Lake Wanaka and offer both life and longevity in bottle. 2005 Rippon Pinot Noir is a restrained wine with early signs of primary complexity. The palate is mineral-driven, savoury and marked by a long, fine line of acidity. A wine of structure and longevity.”
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 19th August 2009 "Beautifully balanced, mellowed and fragrant with hints of thyme, savoury fruit and spice, this is one of Nick Mills' best pinots yet.... It will develop with bottle age but is delicious now" 5 stars
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Hugh Johnson, The World of Fine Wine, August 2007 "The Rippon Pinot Noir 2005was very much the natural wine: grainy, dense, and slightly wild with a deep black-cherry flavour that promised a marvel to come"
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Charmian Smith, ODT, August 1 2007 "Made from vines older than 14 years, Rippon Pinot Noir 2005 is fragrant with hints of cherry plums, a lively lift and spicy complexity with an aftertaste that just keeps developing" 4 stars
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Sue Courtney, Wine of the Week blog, 28th July 2007
"Rippon's latest release, 2006 Rippon Riesling, is the best yet... crisp, fresh, bright and juicy with a lightly honeyed viscous texture that coats the tongue and side of the cheeks with a vinous deliciousness... The gorgeous texture and weight make this wine stand out in a blind tasting"
"Rippon Jeunesse Riesling 2006 is perfumed with lightly honeyed, floral and lemon biscuit scents. Dry, crisp, bright, zesty and spicy with a spritzy tickle as the wine flows across the tongue... A lovely balance of sweet and dry"
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Capital Times, 18th July 2007 "The delicious Rippon Pinot Noir 2005 has dark plums on a restrained nose. In the mouth it has a good weight, with a sweetish beginning and a long, heavy black cherry and tannin finish. Sily and delicious"
"Rippon's 2006 Riesling is very good. It has honey, blossom and citrus notes on the nose and a mandarin and white honey palate underpined by mineral character"
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Jo Burzynska, NZ Herald, July 25 2007 "Great Pinot Noir takes you on a journey through its subtle layers of flavours. Rippon's 2005 Pinot Noir follows a firm thread of acidity that travels across dark, savoury notes.. and finishes in a mineral dimension"
"Nick Mills' philosophy is grounded on the expression of site in his wines... in the Rippon 2006 Riesling, with its zippy citrus spine fleshed out with a hint of sweetness...you can clearly taste the flinty mineral notes derived from the estate's schist soils."
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Nick Stock, Gourmet Traveller Wine, June 2007 "Rippon wines capture an expression of the vineyard's spectacular sit on the banks of Lake Wanaka and offer both life and longevity in bottle. Rippon Pinot Noir 2005 is a restrained wine with early signs of primary complexity. The palate is mineral-driven, savoury and marked by a long, fine line of acidity. A wine of strcuture and longevity."
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Karl Du Fresne, Sunday Star Times, 29th April 2007 "One way to gauge a wine is whether the last glass from the bottle tastes as good as the first. This immaculate wine, Rippon Pinot Noir 2004, effortlessly passes the test. Seamless appeal from first taste to long after the last swallow."
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Oz Clarke, Oz Clarke’s 2007 Buying Guide “Pinot Noir is the red grape New Zealand's South Island does best, but there aren't many examples to top this Rippon Pinot Noir 2003 for the sheer luxury of its lacy, silky texture, rich yet delicate, a lovely scented strawberry fruit suspended in syrup, an attractive stemmy green scent and the pale dryness of lakeside stones warmed by the toastiness of grilled cashews."
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“Rippon Pinot Noir 2003...one of the most elegant and Burgundy-like New World Pinot Noirs I have ever tasted...the palate has a silk-lined texture, born from ripe tannins and delicate winemaking. Whilst it is still relatively youthdul it is showing aged qualities and this makes for great drinking right now.”
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“Result’s Rippon’s winemaker Nick Mills has been getting with his Rieslings are nothing short of fantastic. The 2005 Rippon Riesling is dry, poised and intense. This is wine you should track down to see how good New Zealand riesling can be.”
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 27th September 2006
“Rippon Riesling 2005 textural with hints of toffee and lifted fruit, and the steely, crisp finish is long, complex and satisfying” 4 stars.
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 20th September 2006
“Rippon Pinot Noir 2004 is a complex, textural wine. This is an elegant wine with attractive ripe fruit, understated and persistent” 4 stars
“ is a complex, textural wine. This is an elegant wine with attractive ripe fruit, understated persistent” 4 stars
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Keith Stewart, The NZ Listener
“Rippon Pinot Noir 2004 If there is such a thing as essence of rock, this is it. It’s ethereal wine, at least on the nose, but even there it is essentially grounded and substantial I suspect it will be ravishing with some bottle age. Fluid, firm, head-filling wine.” Keith Stewart, Sommnet – August 2006
“Rippon Pinot Noir 2004 Fine fruit impact is immediately modified by a mineral earth character that is at once arresting and bright. Mid palate is deep, with warmth oozing in around its edges and a wash of fruit permeating everything. Lovely stuff, it builds to a fine, mineral licked finish that is faintly dusted with tannins, but is almost ethereal in its grace and lingering stain of intense fruit flavours.”
“Rippon Riesling 2005 Wonderful intensity on impact carries a fresh, bright lime note and underlying mineral crackle. Mid palate is intense and deep with fine flavours that are held tightly in a very focused frame. Finish is again intense, dry feeling, infused with fruit and minerals and very long. Feels deceptively light, impressively deep.”
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Rusty Gaffney, Prince of Pinot
“2001 pinot noir light in colour, the delicate nose offers soft red fruits and a hint of orange rind. The red fruits are enhanced with spice and herbs and the whole package finishes fresh and clean. An elegant wine with great charm”
“2003 pinot noir This is the first wine made by Nick Mills and his team. The style is similar to the 2001 but there is more of everything – more delicate red fruits, more spice including cinnamon, more layers of flavour. The mouthfeel is silky and sexy. A balanced wine of great potential.”
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Keith Stewart, “Rising Stars”, The NZ Listener
“A very well-established rising star is Rippon, one of the Central Otago originals that under recently returned winemaker (and owner’s son) Nick Mills has got to grips with the concept of crafting elegance as well as fruit into vinous substance. Pinot noir and riesling of uncommon style and poetry should be your reward for seeking out this label”
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Keith Stewart, “Rising Stars”, The NZ Listener Jan 06
Sue Courtney, Wine of the Week,
“Rippon Lake Wanaka Central Otago Pinot Noir 2003 is simply an incredible wine, I had read rave reviews of this wine from a couple of colleagues and now I know why they raved.
A deeply translucent tamarillo red colour introduces the wine in the glass. Rich, ripe, succulent, fragrant aromas with subtle smoky oak, juicy black cherries and a hint of dried rose allure the senses and prepare for the generous flavours. It is earthy, as good pinot noir should be, with gorgeous spices like anise forging their way through the truffles and forest floor with sweet oak and a combination of sweet and tart fruit balancing the earthiness beautifully. It has beautiful flow with silky tannins throughout and the cedary French oak that comes through to linger with a nice little twist of savouriness at the end. A big wine, it deserves a big score.”
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Keith Stewart, “Rising Stars”, The NZ Listener Jan 06
Tim Harris, New Zealand Herald,
“Rippon Pinot Noir 2003 is a powerful wine. Where so much of Otago pinot noir is silken and overtly sweetly fruit, this one is staunch, complex, slightly savoury and freshly tannic with a solid core and a silken thread of richness running through it against an unobtrusive background of fine French oak. It is Burgundian in character.”
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Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times,
“Nick Mills has brought his experience in some of the leading French vineyards home to Rippon where he grew up. Rather than emphasise the fruit as he does in the Jeunesse, in 2003 Rippon Pinot Noir he has encouraged savoury complexities to develop. There are hints of spicy oak, of liquorice and mineral, with perhaps a suggestion of chocolate and cherries underneath, but this wine is not so much about up-front fruit or big oak as about texture, structure, charm, harmony, supple tannins and a long, lively finish. It is delicious and can be expected to develop over two or three years. “ (4.5 stars)
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Keith Stewart, The NZ Listener,
“Harmony and elegant charm stand out above fruit and structure and other such mundane things in this wine. There is a sense of great beauty, detailed craft and spirit – not alcohol, but something
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