- 92 points -
March 2024 (Vintage 2022)A fresh and easy pinot with candied strawberries, lemon peel and flowers. Medium-bodied with nice fruit and a firm finish.
See detailed press review
SPY VALLEY
Pinot Noir Single Estate
2017
- Sustainable
- Vegan
Country
New Zealand
Regulated designation
Table wine
Region
South Island
Subregion
Marlborough
Varietal(s)
Pinot Noir
100 %
Colour
Red
Producer's website
About this winery
Spy Valley Wines is one of Marlborough’s few remaining 100% Kiwi family-owned wine companies, owned and operated by the Johnson family since 1990. The winery is located up the road from a Five Eyes Spy base and is known as one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed producers. Established in 1993 on land considered too hard and too unfertile for wine, Spy Valley comprises of 180 hectares of estate vineyards. Pioneering what was then a Marlborough sub-region, the Johnsons continued to develop the...
See the SPY VALLEY detail page for more information on this brand
Product notes
Waihopai Valley – Johnson Vineyard - Top terraces with clay/silt loam lenses over free draining alluvium. Omaka Valley – Outpost Vineyard - Variable depth windblown clay/loess over clay-bound glacial gravel. Direct North facing aspect, on moderately steep hillside slopes.
Production notes
Natural fermentation. Gentle hand plunging. Aged in French oak barrels for 11 months prior to final blending.
Tasting notes
Delicate aromas of maraschino cherry and cloves with an overlay of spice. The palate is fresh and vibrant with hints of vanilla and spice and a long lingering finish.
Press reviews
- 91 points -
September 2024 (Vintage 2022)Fruit is sourced from the Southern Valleys. Predominantly destemmed and matured for 11 months prior to blending. Steeped rosehips, goji berries and baked blackberries. Split sapote, cocoa pods, granite and tar. A wild lilac or two. Oak notes are subtle and well integrated, letting the fruit core shine. Tannins are sandy and fine with a cassia bark spice. A well-made wine with detail.
See detailed press review
- 91 points -
October 2018Some leafy and earthy aromas here, as well as red berries and spicy bracken. The palate has a very supple, bright and fleshy feel with a lithe, juicy array of tannins that deliver a smooth and even, mid-weight impression.
See detailed press review
- 90 points -
Sam Kim, June 2020 (Vintage 2018)Sweetly fruited and fragrant, the bouquet shows spiced cherry, vanilla, hazelnut, anise and earthy mushroom notes, leading to a beautifully rounded and smooth palate that’s mellow and lingering. It’s elegantly composed and soothing with a lengthy silky finish.
See detailed press review