Central Otago has been in a bit of a quandary with its latest vintages. 2012 was cool, and many wines do not deliver the generosity of fruit associated with Central Otago. The following year was a warm, "easy" vintage, with many wines being quite open and broad. How do five well regarded wineries stack up?
Well, the wines of Domain Road, located near Felton Road, are actually from different vintages. The 2011 Domain Road Pinot Noir is attractive on the palate, open with interesting earthy undertones (91 points). The 2010 Paradise Pinot Noir is darker and quite intense, a little angular, but made for ageing (93 points).
Mt. Difficulty is one of Central Otago's most prominent wineries. The 2013 Roaring Meg Pinot Noir is made for every day drinking. It is a pleasant wine, soft and aromatic (90 points). The 2012 Bannockburn Pinot Noir (their estate wine) is more structured and quite tannic (92 points).
Mud House is a relatively high volume producer who manages to avoid the 'commercial wines' label. The 2012 Claim 431 Pinot Noir is still quite young in the glass, but with savoury characteristics and a slightly harsh mouthfeel (89 points). The 2013 version is broader, feels warmer and tastes more fruit orientated (90 points). The 2010 has a lighter mouthfeel, but lovely expressive fruit and soft tannins (93 points). Big vintage variation between these wines.
One of the bell weathers is Quartz Reef. the 2012 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir tastes of red cherry, with savoury notes and a very solid structure (93 points).
Rockburn, by comparison, is quite new. The winemaker is ex Felton Road. The 2012 Pinot Noir is a bit weak and lacks intensity (88 points). However, the 2012 Ten Barrels Pinot Noir (obviously a reserve wine) has more depth and is quite elegant with lifted aromas on the finish (93 points).
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