The 2021 Dog Point Pinot Noir from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys is a stellar example of New Zealand’s cool-climate Pinot Noir, reflecting the winery’s commitment to organic and sustainable viticulture. Hand-harvested and fermented with indigenous yeasts, this wine underwent 18 months of aging in French oak barrels, 30% of which were new, resulting in a complex and refined profile. The 2021 vintage was marked by a warm and dry growing season, leading to optimal ripening conditions and a harvest that required minimal sorting, culminating in a wine of exceptional quality.

Critically acclaimed, the 2021 vintage received 94 points from Wine Enthusiast, highlighting its “lovely layers of lucid aromas” and “lovely concentration and harmony.” Cameron Douglas, MS, also awarded it 94 points, noting its “ripe, fruity, varietal and complex bouquet” with “youthful polished tannins and acidity for contrast.” Winepilot.com rated it 95 points, praising its “violet petals, Damson plum, black raspberry and fig” notes, and describing it as “equally alluring and coquettish with its underlying heady spices and wafts of wild red and black fruit.”

The wine’s profile is characterized by aromas of dark plum and baking spices, complemented by floral notes of violets and rose. On the palate, it offers bright and pure dark berries and plums, with an opulent fruit profile and a fine velvet texture from fine-boned tannins. The judicious use of French oak adds spice and a tightly grained tannin profile, enhancing its complexity and charm.