Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

VALLI is the personal vocation of pioneering winemaker Grant Taylor. Grant’s name is synonymous with Otago Pinot Noir. He has been crafting wines there since 1993 when there were only 20 ha planted – today there are over 2000. Grant founded VALLI in 1998 with the intention to produce single vineyard Pinot Noirs highlighting the different characteristics of Otago’s sub regions. More than 20 years later, VALLI is doing just that, producing single-vineyard pinot noirs from Gibbston, Bannockburn, and Bendigo in Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley in North Otago, as well as a dry Pinot Gris from Gibbston and a Riesling from Waitaki. In 2015, established Otago winemaker Jen Parr joined Grant in the winery, where the two aim to create wines with honesty, integrity, and most of all, a sense of place. When you drink a Valli wine, you are enjoying more than just a wine: you are experiencing a place.

The location of Valli’s Bannockburn Vineyard is only 20km from Gibbston in the Cromwell basin but the difference in climate is responsible for creating markedly different wines. The Bannockburn wines reflect this warmer area by displaying darker fruits, by being denser, more powerful and with longevity based more on their tannin structure, as opposed to Gibbston wines which are based more on their acidity. Climate, rather than soil, attributes to the main difference in the wines. The grapes for the Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 were handpicked before being fermented with 30% whole bunch fruit in French Oak (28% new oak) for 11 months before being bottled unfined and crossflow filtered.

The Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020 has a deep garnet hue with a lifted fragrance mingling fresh florals, dried herb, red & blue fruit, liquorice, earthy loam and new leather. The flavours mirror the aromas with bright fruit, a savoury edge and delicious floral notes. Immediately fresh, the silky textured palate builds in the mouth and crescendos with a memorable, lingering finish.

Bannockburn sits at the heart of one of the wine world's most promising Pinot locations outside Burgundy, and this dark, fragrant yet intensely fruited wine drew our judges' attention not just for the panache of its fruit but also for its intensity, drive, structure and resonance. The blackberry and plum fruits you can find on the nose are almost brooding, and a far cry from the sometimes simple appeal of the region's pioneer Pinots. On the palate it is mouth-filling and deep with high-resolution focus; the acidity is neither trivial nor shrill; the tannins are soft, but carry a useful flavour print. It's after you swallow, though, that you come to appreciate its sinew and ligament, its inner seriousness and its sheer completeness. Very fine Pinot by any measure. - Best in Show, Decanter World Wine Awards 2022, 97 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal -  Pinot Noir
Country - New Zealand
Region - Central Otago 
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.0%