Many wine regions have developed as the result of the success of one winery. The imitators flog in and try to emulate the success of the pioneer. Often the objective is to develop a cult wine, based on small production and slick marketing. Certainly Central Otago has attracted many companies as a result of the Felton Road success. And some, such as Ostler, are even in a different area by quite some distance. A good way of assessing the quality of such wineries is tasting wines at a more mature age.
So I was interested to open Ostler's premium Pinot Noir, a 2009 Ostler Caroline's Pinot Noir. The colour worried me a bit. This is a screw capped wine, yet the colour is showing some age: garnet near the rim. This is a full-bodied wine, quite powerful and somewhat alcoholic. The wine opens with dark cherry fruit, but is quite savoury. Acidity is dialed up, and the result is a wine which is not elegant, not supple, and at 6 years, probably past its best.
Now, I would not judge a winery by one wine from one vintage, but this leaves me unimpressed, in particular in the context of the significant care that is taken, according to the winery.
Score: 88/-
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