It is that time of the year! New releases. I was invited to join Rockburn to celebrate their latest 2022 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir releases. The event was held last week at a private premise in Auckland, co-owner Paul Halford's garage. Paul is a Pinot Noir lover and passionate about classic Italian sports and race cars, with 20+ classic luxury cars in his collection.
Matching the impressive collection of classic cars, alongside the new release 2022 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, there are current releases of Stolen Kiss 2022, Tigermoth Rilesing 2018, Pinot Gris 2021, Sauvignon Blanc 2022; the Reserves Pinot Noir range: The Art 2021, Nine Barrels 2021, The Chosen 777 2021 and The Chosen Hillside 2021. But that's not all; the Library Magnum Pinot Noir is the reason I was there. I was short on time, so I went straight to these.
Rockburn Pinot Noir 2010 - Full ruby red/ garnet. Shy on the nose, clam with spice. Game and forest floor dominate the palate, with plum and dried cherry. Integrated tannins, still elegant. Drink now.
The Art Pinot Noir 2010 - Dark chocolate/ garnet colour. Attractive bouquet penetrating savoury, mushroom, dried cherry, herb and cedar. Silky mouthfeel, with lots of spice, complex and layered. Drinking well, best decanted, enjoy over the next 5+ years.
Ten Barrels Pinot Noir 2012 - Light intensity tea/ garnet. Gamey, meaty and herbaceous. Soft fruit and intensity on the palate with high acidity; silky but tight tannins. Showing depth and concentration with a dried raspberry vibe, lean and persistent. Drink now till 2025.
Eleven Barrels Pinot Noir 2013 - Bright ruby-red, youthful appearance. The nose is intense with aromas of herbs, red and black fruit and plenty of spice. Rich and mouth-filling, packed with red and black fruit, savoury and herbaceous. Fine tannin structure with a grip, still youthful. Plenty of time ahead; estimate prime in 5-8 years.
Nine Barrels Pinot Noir 2015 - Light ruby colour. Juicy red fruit on the nose, youthful with spice and herbs. Round and smooth on the palate, succulent red fruit, spice, herb and lots of pepper. Medium fine tannins structure. Excellent potential; it will develop well in the next 8-10 years.
Seven Barrels Pinot Noir 2016 - Light, black/ garnet. Medicinal bouquet, lavender, sage, spice with perfumed fruit. The palate shows dark cherry, plum, spice, pepper, nutmeg, and liquorice. Well-structured, silky tannins. Savoury, shiitake on the finish. A classic to be enjoyed over the next 10+ years.
The Art Pinot Noir 2016 - Medium ruby/ garnet. Savoury on the bouquet, red fruit and lifted spice, complex, underlined brown mushroom. Smooth tannins with a fine grip, savoury red fruit, spice, liquorice and lengthy. Growing fuller on the palate as it aerated, more layers and impact, fine-structured, youthful, showing whole bunches fragrance and bitter aromatic. Stylish and lengthy. Enjoy decanted over the next 10 years.
Please note these are all in 1,500ml magnum-size bottles, the ullage in a magnum bottle has the same surface-to-air ratio as in a 750ml bottle, but the twice larger volume of wine that is available to absorb the oxygen allows the wine to maintain its freshness and flavour longer. The storage capacity of 750ml, or other storage conditions, may alter the potency of the ageing process compared to magnum.
