A blend of three barrel-selected beauties; bold seductive Bannockburn, delightfully fruited Lowburn grapes elevated with the aromatic and savoury Gibbston grapes. All gracefully compliment each other to create a quintessential Central Otago Pinot Noir.
The precision of this medium-bodied wine makes it instantly appealing. On the palate, rich and seductive impressions of dark fruits emerge, plums, black currants and ripe cherries. The flavours are beautifully intertwined with subtle mocha spice and a suggestion of wood smoke. Dark chocolate and raspberry brittle linger faintly.
This beautiful classic Central Otago Pinot Noir manifests balanced refined acidity, velvety tannins, and delights with an exquisite mouthfeel that prolongs to a long, harmonious, silky finish. It is delightfully expressive and delicious now but has exceptional cellaring potential. The wine will charm Pinot Noir aficionados in 10 + years.
Our goal at HAWKSHEAD is to create exceptional wines with minimal intervention and let the grapes speak for themselves, which means maximum flavour.
Reviews
Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, The Real Review
95/100Gold Medal, Ranked: #12 of 21 2022 Pinot Noir from Central Otago
This wine is a blend of three barrels from Bannockburn, Lowburn and Gibbston. It was 43.5% whole-bunch fermented.
Delicately scented wine with greater intensity and riper flavours than the regular label. Clearly a “cool climate” wine with bright, fresh flavours and plenty of energy. Approachable now but should develop well with bottle age.
Ageing: now to 2032
Food pair: baked eggplants stuffed with lamb and mozzarella
Candice Chow, Candice Wine Chats & Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
18.5/20pts, (94pts) Gold Medal, Perfect to Outstanding - Top 10 Pinot Noir 2023
Bright ruby-red with a purple hue, lighter on edge. The nose shows depth, enticed with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, rich herbs, liquorice hints and undergrowth. Medium-full bodied, aromas of black cherry and blackberry intertwined with rich thyme, liquorice, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon and earthy undergrowth. The wine shows multilayers of herbs, spices and earthy details. Silky tannin extraction contributes structure and substance to an opulent mouthfeel, lends a long, elegant closing. This Pinot Noir shows dark-toned fruit and a bold structure with excellent texture and length. Match with roasted lamb and venison backstrap over the next 8 years. Fruit from Bannockburn (50%), Lowburn (43%) and Gibbston (7%) fermented with 100% indigenous yeasts to 13% alc, aged 10 months in French oak barrels, 10% new oak. Unfined. Aug 2023
Michael Cooper, New Zealand Wines
Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide
Outstanding quality (gold medal standard)
The highly refined 2022 vintage (5*) was hand-harvested at Bannockburn (50 per cent), Lowburn (43 per cent) and Gibbston (7 per cent), and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (28 per cent new). Full, bright ruby, it is mouth filling, sweet-fruited, savoury and supple, with impressive complexity and a finely textured, lingering finish. Best drinking 2025+. September 2023
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
96/ 100 Exceptional quality exhibiting the highest level of concentration and complexity.
This is stunningly beautifully and seductive, showing sweet berry, rich floral, cedar, thyme and warm mushroom aromas, leading to a gracefully expressed palate offering plump mouthfeel and velvety texture. Wonderfully framed by layers of fine tannins, making it delectably and highly enjoyable. At its best: now to 2035. June 2023
Download Technical Notes
2022 Hawkshead Reserve Pinot Noir
