Lawsons Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2020

Lawson Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2020

Grape: 100% Pinot Noir (clone 5, 667, 115 and 777), 3 plots in the Southern Valleys (Waihopai & Tilly's Block) on clay soils, sustainable farming, matured 10 months in 225L & 500L French oak barrels (25% new)

Producer Tasting Note:

Red berry and black cherry aromas combine with smoky vanilla, oaky notes and a hint of spice. The palate is round and generous with lovely bright berry, cherry flavours and a touch of gentle, sweet vanilla. This wine has lovely weight and length, offering a delicious balance of power and elegance. Youthful and juicy on release (September 2022) this lovely wine will continue to evolve in the bottle and mellow with time. Enjoy for five or more years, at least.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"A lovely bouquet with complexity and youthful aromas of red and dark cherry, baked apple, some flinty quality and myriad spices from fruit mostly then barrel. Taut and dry, a decent palate squeeze from polished tannins in abundance and decent acid line pulling all the fruit and spice elements together. Nice length and finish, a robust expression that is still developing. Best drinking from 2026 through 2033"

93/100 points,  Cameron Douglas MS, May 2024

"Aromas of red and black cherries, oolong and bark. Medium- to full-bodied with silky tannins. I like the concentration here which is not overdone, but solid and provides good intensity and length to the rounded red fruit. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap."  James Suckling, September 2022

Lawson’s Dry Hills is a boutique winery, close to Blenheim in New Zealand’s Marlborough region. They are part of the Family of Twelve, a fraternity of twelve of New Zealand’s most prestigious and enduring artisanal wineries.

The original company vineyard was planted in 1982 by Ross and Barbara Lawson, who launched the Lawson’s Dry Hills label some ten years later, in 1992. Today, the company’s wines range from Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir to Riesling and Gewurztraminer and are all made from fruit grown in the Wairau, Waihopai, Omaka and Awatere Valleys. These different regions and carefully selected vineyard sites provide varying characteristics derived from the different soils and microclimates, giving many options when it comes to blending to that much-anticipated Lawson’s style.

The dedicated bunch of people that make up the small team here are relaxed in company, yet passionate about their wines. They are very ‘hands on’, living and breathing every part of the viticultural and winemaking process and love to share their award-winning wines with others.

Food Match: Soft and supple, this wine is lovely with red meat, as well as full-flavour chicken and pork dishes and game. Ideal with chargrilled foods, roasted vegetables and any earthy flavours such as beans and lentils. Loves toasted spices such as cumin, star anise, paprika and herbs like oregano, thyme and sage.