2021 Dicey Bannockburn The Inlet Pinot Noir, Central Otago

A hallmark wine from the Dicey team with a vibrant and polished bouquet of ripe cherry and dried raspberry, there’s a savoury dried herb quality set against barrel spices and dry stony soil scents. These complexities follow through onto the palate with a wine of texture, generosity and length. Firm tannins and acidity lead the palate textures with a core of dark berry fruit, spices and a touch of chocolate follow. Spices from barrel include clove. A wine of length and intensity, flavour and texture. Also, a wine that does not lose its sense of pinosity and charm. Youthful and taut still with best drinking from late 2025 through 2032+.

94 points Cameron Douglas MS camdouglasms.com

Dicey Bannockburn The Inlet Pinot Noir from Central Otago is a captivating single site wine that reflects the wild beauty and fine detail of Bannockburn’s rugged landscape. Crafted by brothers James and Matt Dicey—two of the region’s most respected viticulturists and winemakers—The Inlet is all about capturing a sense of place through Pinot Noir with purity, texture, and tension.

The vineyard lies near the Bannockburn Inlet, surrounded by schist hills and cooled by alpine breezes. The soils are a mix of decomposed schist, loess, and fine gravel, producing small bunches with thick-skinned berries. The Dicey family farms with a strong focus on sustainability, working organically and applying regenerative practices to protect the fragile Central Otago environment.

Fruit for The Inlet is handpicked, sorted with precision, and fermented with wild yeasts. A portion of whole bunches adds lift and savoury structure. The wine is aged in French oak barrels, mostly older, to allow the fruit and site to speak without overt interference.

In the glass, it opens with aromas of wild strawberry, red cherry, thyme, clove, and subtle graphite. The palate is finely textured, medium bodied and laced with herbal complexity, fresh acidity, and chalky tannins. It’s a wine of clarity and restraint, offering elegance over power, with a mineral finish that hums with Bannockburn character.

Pair it with duck breast, venison, or mushroom risotto. The Inlet is a thoughtful and expressive Pinot Noir, built for those who love detail, energy, and the story of place in every sip.