2020 Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir

95 Points Richard Caro
In stock
An ethereal and biodynamically grown premium Pinot from Waipara. The Angel Flower is a classic expression of a "cru" site on the lime-rich hillsides of the home property. With a savoury nature and a botanical twist, the Angle Flower is a Pinot style to experience.
$108.00 in mixed 6+ or $120.00 per bottle

Grape

Pinot Noir

Its Origins

As described in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate by Lisa Perrotti-Brown: "You may think you know New Zealand wines but I can assure you that until you have tasted Pyramid Valley, you have no idea. When I first sampled the earliest releases from this left-of-center producer, I was so drawn to the signature, ground-breaking if, at that time, not altogether flawless wines that I vowed to pay them a visit as soon as possible (which, given their location, is easier said than done). There was a spark of “otherness” about the wines that was so unlike anything else in New Zealand, it was difficult to say if proprietors Mike and Claudia Weersing were geniuses or mad or mad geniuses. I’m still kinda thinking there’s an element of the latter going on here but at least my first visit in 2011 and follow-up visit this year have confirmed to me that they are most definitely wine geniuses. Having searched New Zealand for their ideal plot of land to produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of the very highest quality, the Weersings were tempted by comradery to plant amongst their friends in Central Otago. But it was the unique, clay-limestone soils and scarp slopes near Waikari in North Canterbury that stole their hearts. In 2000 they planted vines in one of New Zealand’s newest and remotest wine regions…so new and remote it still doesn’t really have a name other than “North Canterbury”. Claudia is the biodynamic green-thumb and Mike is the Burgundian trained winemaker in this small-scale, hands-on operation. Everything in the fields and winery is as natural as natural can be and anyone who has followed the wines over the years will know, from tasting if not knowledge, that Mike has tested the boundaries of no / low sulfur additions and now seems to have a knack for adding just-enough to ensure stability without compromising the couples’ ethics. The results speak for themselves: astonishingly good, terroir-expressive wines that will challenge all your preconceptions."

What The Critics Say

Winemaker notes

Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with yeasts from the vineyard, gently fermented using infusion methods for 21-27 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden cuves and barrel. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. Moderate red cherry, clear and bright in the glass. Haunting aromas that are difficult to place, cherry pastries, wild forest in the summer, red clover, lavender fields. Autumn raspberries, early season red cherries, blood orange, hints of clove and nutmeg, and the warmth of summer berries, pastry and a savoury twist from the forest; long graceful and powerful; the consummate iron fist in a silk glove; sensational.

97/100 Decanter, Tina Gellie (2019 vintage)

"‘Angel flower’ is another name for yarrow, found when this cool, exposed pasture was planted to vines in 2000. Beautifully floral and lifted, it has distinct savoury notes of umeboshi (salty-sour plums), tart cherry, wild strawberries and hints of cola. Fine-boned, with sappy tannins, focused acidity and a long, smoky finish. Also superb is Earth Smoke, its more dark-fruited, powerful and structured single-vineyard sibling (2019, £80 Specialist Cellars), as well as the winery’s two regional-level Pinots."

17.5/20 JancisRobinson.com, Tamlyn Currin

"Full bottle 1,429 g. Certified Demeter biodynamic. Angel Flower is a cooler, more exposed block than Earth Smoke. Shallow soils, north-facing aspect. Their explanation of the name of the wine is as follows: 'Angel Flower is the prettiest of many synonyms for yarrow; a grassland and pasture plant with delicate, fennel-like leaves and a brilliant mass of white flowers. Yarrow is the basis of the biodynamic preparation 502 and is strongly associated with mobilising natural sulphur and potassium in the soil.' Destemmed, spontaneous fermentation. Purple-red earthy nose that smells like roasted beetroot and hibiscus tea and dried porcini mushrooms. There is a curve of red cherry on the palate, dusted with cinnamon and fine-powdered earth. The sweet soil-pomegranate-black-fig-squashed-on-a-stone-wall flavour of beetroot forms this lovely twisted-vine-limb framework within which the quiet breath of this gentle wine draws and expands. The tannins feel like sifted spice and wholewheat flour, a flecked, nut-savoury, wholesome texture. There's a sweetness to the soul of this wine – like a child climbing into your lap and whispering secrets in your ear. (TC)."

Variety Pinot Noir
Region Canterbury / Waipara
Closure Cap
Volume 750ml
Maturity 2022 - 2035

This Wine Goes Well With

with DUCK
with LAMB
with PORK

Taste

3

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