2023 Dry River Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Light ruby. After some initial woodiness on the nose, it settles into an ethereal, sweet bouquet of wild berry, dried flowers, rosehip and hibiscus, weaving through subtle spice and minerality.The palate flows outwards elegantly towards the delicately floral finish with blood orange and a sweet earthiness. Not a blockbuster, this mid-weight pinot noir has perfume, finesse, a certain Burgundian transparency and finesse 31 Jan 2025 Drink 2025–2040

95 points Stephen Wong MW therealreview.com

Dry River Pinot Noir is one of New Zealand’s true cult wines, a bottle that helped define Martinborough as one of the great Pinot Noir terroirs of the Southern Hemisphere. Martinborough sits at the southern end of the Wairarapa, where gravelly, free draining soils and constant winds create low yielding vines and small, intensely flavoured berries. The climate is cool and dry, giving Pinot Noir its trademark perfume, bright acidity and fine, savoury tannin structure.

Dry River was founded by Dr Neil McCallum in 1979 and became legendary for its uncompromising focus on single vineyard, low yield wines that were built for longevity rather than early appeal. The estate has always farmed with deep respect for the land, allowing wild fermentations and minimal intervention to let the vineyard speak clearly.

In the glass, Dry River Pinot Noir is complex and layered, showing wild strawberry, red cherry and plum, with rose petal, forest floor, spice and a gentle earthy note. The palate is structured yet elegant, with firm, fine grained tannins and bright acidity giving the wine real energy and long, savoury length. It is not a simple or fruity Pinot, but a wine that unfolds slowly and rewards patience.

This is a magnificent food wine. Roast duck, lamb, game birds, mushroom dishes or slow cooked meats all bring out its savoury depth and complexity.

Dry River Pinot Noir is approachable with air when young, but it truly shines with time. In good vintages it will evolve for fifteen to twenty five years, gaining truffle, leather and earthy nuance while retaining its core of fruit and freshness. It is a benchmark New Zealand Pinot Noir and a wine that belongs in any serious cellar.