Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago Target Gully 2009
Winemaker's Notes:
93 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): Ruby in color, the 2009 Target Gully Pinot Noir displays fragrant red cherry and pomegranate aromas with nuances of black pepper, spice box and damp earth. Medium bodied, tight-knit, and minerally in the mouth, it's got a good foundation of medium-firm level of fine tannins and crisp acid, and finishes long. Still very youthful, it should drink best 2012 to 2017+. (Oct 2011) 19/20 points Geoff Kelly: This is one of the finest pinot noirs thus far made in New Zealand. Right from the medium cherry ruby colour, it emphasises that fine pinot noir is about beauty, rather more than weight. The bouquet is breathtaking, a wonderful interweaving of floral notes with sweet mixed-cherry fruit. Palate is soft, enticing, totally burgundian. The standard 2009 Mt Difficulty is seriously beautiful, but this is just magically more concentrated. Every winemaker in New Zealand who aspires to make quality pinot noir needs to buy, taste and own this wine, for reference. Cellar 3 - 8 years, maybe 10. (Aug 2011)
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Mount Difficulty:
The Mt Difficulty brand started in 1998 with a very small production of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. This Pinot noir went on to win a Gold medal at the 1999 Air New Zealand wine awards, with the Chardonnay attaining Silver. This was a great result for a startup winery and shows the potential of Central Otago for these varieties. Previously the grapes from our vineyards were included in many top-p...
Read moreThe Mt Difficulty brand started in 1998 with a very small production of Pinot noir and Chardonnay. This Pinot noir went on to win a Gold medal at the 1999 Air New Zealand wine awards, with the Chardonnay attaining Silver. This was a great result for a startup winery and shows the potential of Central Otago for these varieties. Previously the grapes from our vineyards were included in many top-performing wines from other Central Otago wineries.
The four Mt Difficulty vineyards are privately owned by the same people who started and own the Mt Difficulty brand and winery. The initial joint venture has grown into a leading New Zealand boutique winery with export markets in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore, with the rest of the world to come!
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External Reviews for Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago Target Gully
Source: JJ Buckley Fine Wines
01/13/2012
The current release is barely opaque in color. This is a masculine, powerful wine that maintains a beautiful balance of fruit and structure. A trait of the vintage, the tannins are a bit pronounced, with a great concentration of soft fruits at the ba... Chuck Hayward. A Pinot Noir wine from Otago in New Zealand. 2009 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Target Gully 750ml
Food Pairings for Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago Target Gully
93 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): Ruby in color, the 2009 Target Gully Pinot Noir displays fragrant red cherry and pomegranate aromas with nuances of black pepper, spice box and damp earth. Medium bodied, tight-knit, and minerally in the mouth, it's got a good foundation of medium-firm level of fine tannins and crisp acid, and finishes long. Still very youthful, it should drink best 2012 to 2017+. (Oct 2011) 19/20 points Geoff Kelly: This is one of the finest pinot noirs thus far made in New Zealand. Right from the medium cherry ruby colour, it emphasises that fine pinot noir is about beauty, rather more than weight. The bouquet is breathtaking, a wonderful interweaving of floral notes with sweet mixed-cherry fruit. Palate is soft, enticing, totally burgundian. The standard 2009 Mt Difficulty is seriously beautiful, but this is just magically more concentrated. Every winemaker in New Zealand who aspires to make quality pinot noir needs to buy, taste and own this wine, for reference. Cellar 3 - 8 years, maybe 10. (Aug 2011)