2021 Giesen Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir, Marlborough

Plush and perfumed, this has an expansive bouquet of violets, red licorice, blackberry and blackcurrant trimmed in coffee-ish oak. The palate is full-bodied with a crushed velvet texture and intense concentration of purple fruit and violet candy which remains tightly wound and primary right through to the very long, sustained finish. Tailored, tapered and polished, this has impressive potential and will richly reward cellaring for a decade or more 23 Apr 2025 Drink 2025–2040

96 points Stephen Wong MW therealreview.com

#1 of 89 2021 Pinot Noir from Marlborough

Giesen Clayvin Vineyard Pinot Noir is one of Marlborough’s most distinguished and cellar-worthy reds, crafted from one of New Zealand’s most celebrated single vineyard sites. Planted in 1991 in the Southern Valleys subregion, the Clayvin Vineyard has become a benchmark for Pinot Noir in the Southern Hemisphere, known for producing wines of structure, intensity and finesse. It was also Marlborough’s first certified organic vineyard, a legacy that continues to shape the purity and vibrancy of its fruit.

The site is perched on north-facing clay slopes in the Wairau Valley foothills, where dense clay soils and low vigour vines result in naturally low yields and deeply concentrated berries. Giesen acquired the vineyard in 2012 and immediately elevated it to flagship status, treating the fruit with exceptional care from vineyard to bottle. Their winemaking team, led by Duncan Shouler, works with minimal intervention to allow the site to fully express itself.

Grapes are handpicked and sorted with precision. Fermentation occurs with wild yeasts, often with some whole bunch inclusion to bring savoury structure and complexity. Maturation takes place in French oak barriques, with a portion of new oak used judiciously to frame the fruit and add textural depth.

In the glass, Clayvin Pinot Noir is dark and perfumed with aromas of black cherry, raspberry, violet and baking spice, layered over notes of damp earth, cedar and a whisper of smoky oak. The palate is structured yet silky, with fine tannins, ripe acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish. It is both powerful and elegant — a wine that demands attention and rewards patience.

Pair it with Peking duck, wild mushroom risotto or venison with blackberry jus. Though expressive in its youth, it will age gracefully for 10 to 15 years, gaining layers of complexity and savoury depth over time.