Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Single Ferment Pinot Noir 2021

Central Otago, New Zealand

Read expert reviews (2)

RRP: $108.00

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About this Wine

country New Zealand

region Central Otago

variety Pinot Noir

Style Red (Light Medium Bodied)

vintage 2021

closure Screwcap

Alcohol vol. 14.0

volume 750

Brands Quartz Reef

Tasting Notes

Aroma

Savoury, with pink peppercorns and star anise, blood orange and raspberry leaf tea on the nose.

Palate

In the mouth, “Velvet” is saturated with flavour, shaped by fine, chalky, tannins. There’s an appealing length through the finish.

Vinification

This single ferment named “Velvet” has been selected as it best expresses the Bendigo Estate vineyard and the growing season. Hand harvested on the 24th of March from block 6. Cold soaked for 5 days before indigenous yeast fermentation kicked in. Gentle hand plunging throughout ferment, followed by post- fermentation maceration of 6 days to ensure optimum fruit and tannin balance. Total time on skin: 22 days. Drained directly into selected French oak barriques (16 % new, 66 % 1 year old, 18 % 2 years old) where the wine aged for 13 months during which natural malolactic fermentation occurred.

Vintage Notes

With warm Spring conditions, growth was steady throughout the vineyard. Flowering began in mid-November and following a cold front in late November, frost risk remained low for the remainder of the season. The new year brought both rain and snow leaving a dusting on the Pisa Ranges, the lowest we have ever seen this far into the season. Warm dry weather followed right through into harvest which enabled the fruit to ripen to perfection. Veraison took place at the end of January and we began our harvest in March. Optimal conditions early in the season have resulted in an above average yield and a long dry season has provided us with exceptional quality.

Reviews

Dave Brookes
1

When a single pinot noir ferment is named 'velvet', you're probably onto a good thing; sourced from Block 6 on the Bendigo estate and matured in French oak barriques (16% new) for 13 months. Deep ruby with characters of plush dark cherry and red and dark plum fruits over hints of exotic spice, crushed rocks, citrus blossom, turned leaf litter, oak spice, dried meats, dried citrus rinds, mountain herbs and earth. Graceful and long with an elegant travel across the palate, a long stretch of savoury cherry and plum fruits layered with spice, herbs and dried meats, bright acidity and chalky tannin grip. Points: 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion ∙ 7th Mar 2026
Emma Jenkins MW
1

True to its name, this is deliciously plush and intense, with lifted dark plum and cherry fruit, orange blossom, spicy anise and a rich earthiness. Plenty of firm tannin and savoury depth to the fine, textural palate. Very seamless, with nothing heavy or forced. Good freshness, very long. Points: 97/100

Decanter ∙ 16th Dec 2025

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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Single Ferment Pinot Noir 2021

About this Wine