4½ stars. A pinot noir dominant crackingly good fizz with all the characters you would be impressed by - yeast, flintiness, lees influences adding biscuity notes and fresh, spicy strawberry fruits to the fore, lifted by a fine, lively mousse. Ready to be enjoyed. Goes with: Seafood Entrees.
It is quite a feat to craft a sparkling wine that captures richness within a frame of delicacy. Quartz Reef has met the brief impeccably, celebrating the power of Central Otago pinot noir (almost two-thirds of the blend) in its rich stone fruit, mixed spice and baked apple glory, then toning it with the pink grapefruit and preserved lemon notes of chardonnay. It pulls accurately into a well-balanced finish of mineral presence and taut acidity, carrying with impressive line and persistence, finishing with a refreshingly low dosage of 8g/L of sweetness. Drink: 2012-2013. Points: 93/100
A blend of pinot noir (61%) and chardonnay (39%) from the Bendigo district of Central Otago. It’s a weighty wine with an appealing bite of fresh acidity that fades to leave a soft and beguiling suggestion of sweetness on the finish (the wine has been given a dosage of eight grams per litre). A nice mix of austere citrus and mineral fruit flavours with fine, toasty yeast autolysis. The currently available cuvee has been in bottle for two years after being disgorged.
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