11-Mar-2013
Central Otago doyen Grant Taylor has crafted some of the most significant wines of the region in his 20 years there, including several stunning releases of the Gibbston Valley ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir, but the latest offerings under his own label Valli Vineyards show him to be a man at the top of his game. The 2010 Pinot Noir releases can be regarded as the best he has made to date. (Click here to see my reviews.) He is one of my outstanding wine producers over the last two years, and was a hot contender for my ‘Winery of the Year’ in 2012. (Click here to view my article.) Valli Vineyards not only makes superb wine, but wine that is fully expressive of their origins, and it is the range of Otago sub-regional Pinot Noirs that is absolutely fascinating to taste and compare, as one can see terroir at work. Here are my reviews of his 2011 vintage Pinot Noir releases, (as well as the 2012 ‘Old Vine’ Riesling from Alexandra fruit). The 2011 Pinot Noirs, are more refined and aromatic than the 2010s, and closer as a group, but still distinctively representative of their Otago sub-regions. www.valliwine.com