Gibbston Valley Winery’s Pinot Noirs shine for Cuisine

Media Release from Gibbston Valley Winery
October 17 2012
Gibbston Valley Winery’s Pinot Noirs shine for Cuisine judging panel

Central Otago winery Gibbston Valley Winery is a boutique operator with big reason to celebrate following the announcement of Cuisine magazine’s New Zealand Pinot Noir tasting results.

A tasting panel of wine experts headed up by respected international judge John Belsham reviewed 325 Pinot Noir wines from throughout New Zealand for the multi-award-winning magazine.

Of those wines submitted, only 25 received 5 stars. Two of Gibbston Valley Winery’s Pinot Noirs received a 5-star rating, making it a hugely successful outcome for the renowned Central Otago winery.

The Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011 achieved 5 stars and also made it into the Top 10. The Gibbston Valley China Terrace Pinot Noir 2011 also achieved 5 stars, while the Gibbston Valley School House Pinot Noir 2011 achieved 4½ stars and the Gibbston Valley Glenlee Pinot Noir 2011 was rated with 4 stars.

The successful team at Gibbston Valley Winery is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first commercial harvest of grapes, and the glowing accolades from Cuisine have given them reason to continue celebrations. A rating of 5 stars or more enables the winemaker to place the coveted Cuisine sticker on its bottle.

Gibbston Valley Winery winemaker Christopher Keys, who has been with the company for the past six years, said he was delighted with the 2011 vintage.

“Making these Pinot Noirs is a team effort from the vineyard to bottle, and we’re all very proud of our releases and results,” said Mr Keys. “We’re thrilled to see that the Cuisine panel appreciated them.

“In some ways, this vintage was more challenging than 2010, but the wines express their vineyard characteristics very clearly and distinctly. This is an excellent endorsement of our 2011 Pinot Noirs.”

The Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011 shone for the judges, who ranked it number 6 in the Top 10 Pinot Noirs. Judges lauded the modern-style pinot as ‘a dark, concentrated wine with beguiling floral aromatics leading to a rich, full-on mouthful’.

“The 2011 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir’s result is excellent, with its Top 10 status highlighting its proven consistent quality,” said Mr Keys. “Following on the back of the particularly successful 2010, this is particularly pleasing. The Top 10 dominated by 2010’s - the 2011 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir is the exception.”

Also receiving five stars was the Gibbston Valley China Terrace Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011 with judges commenting that the pinot ‘shone like a beacon, representing the essence of the region with an alluring core of ripe dark fruit edged with a tarry, mineral note’.

Judges didn’t hold back with their praise for the 2011 Gibbston Valley School House Pinot Noir either, giving it 4 stars and claiming the wine offered no shortage of ‘razzle-dazzle’. The Gibbston Valley Glenlee Pinot Noir 2011 also received 4 stars, impressing the judges with its ‘brambly sweetness, hint of leafiness and a dash of charry, meaty oak, all held together by powerful tannins’.

“The Single Vineyard wines have done well again. Primarily we want them to show their distinct qualities as we see so much difference in them based on where their vineyards are,” said Mr Keys.

“They are long-term prospects and people are drawn to different individual wines, but they can be assured that one way or another, the 2011 Single Vineyards are of a very high quality as well.

“China Terrace has scored 5 stars for the second consecutive year - it is a site that produces incredible fruit.”

The full results are being published in the Christmas issue of Cuisine magazine, yet visitors to Gibbston Valley Winery can sample the wines for themselves by visiting the Central Otago winery’s cellar door or vineyard restaurant.

Gibbston Valley Winery is also home to New Zealand’s largest and innovative wine cave, available for wine tours, private functions, weddings and special occasions, the new Barrel Room for C&I functions and weddings, and a retail outlet.

ENDS

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