2016 Doctors Flat, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
Description
Doctors Flat is an artisanal Pinot Noir from Steve Davies’ small organic vineyard in Central Otago. Nestled on ancient glacial gravels near Lake Dunstan, the cool climate enhances its spicy, violet, and blackberry flavours. Since 2008, it has been limited to around 2,000 cases annually, earning critical acclaim and a loyal following. It is a must-have for any cellar, offering exceptional quality at a consistent price.
Tasting note
The nose is redolent of blackberry, black cherry, fleshy plum, Thyme and a hint of chestnut - the oak is evident but not obtrusive, in perfect harmony with the black/blue fruit aromas. This entices you into a med-bodied palate, a richness balanced perfectly with fine-grained tannins. A fluid mouth-filling Pinot that can be accessed now or given another 3-5 years of age. A lovely Central Otago offering.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
-
Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2016 -
Alcohol
13.5% -
Grape
Pinot Noir -
Body
Medium Bodied -
Producer
Doctors Flat Vineyard
Critics reviews
Ripe, fleshy and quite oaky pinot noir with plum, dark berry, thyme, spice, anise and a hint of roasted chestnut. It has a perfect balance of fruit sweetness and fine, peppery tannins to give a dry and lingering finish. It’s a stylish wine that’s accessible but should age well.
The grapes were picked relatively early, with less in the way of punching down and the same proportion 30%) as before of whole bunches in the fermenting vats. Fresh purple in colour, the stems show a little more here than in the 2015, but with joyous aromatics. They may have influenced the drier finish though: this is a stricter style but I love the perfume at the back.
970 dozen bottles contain 13.5% ABV, 4.90 grams per litre of titratable acidity, and zero residual sugar.
Steve Davies is the grape grower and winemaker behind this small production run of Doctors Flat Pinot, made from his three-hectare block in Bannockburn, on a hill behind Mount Difficulty winery. The schist soil is a result of glacial ice deposited 480,000 years ago, and it provides heat retention for grapes to ripen and good drainage. This wine is made from hand-harvested Pinot Noir, 27% of which was a whole bunch fermented in small tanks with Indigenous yeast nothing added) and then drained to French oak barrels 23% new), where it matured for 12 months before being bottled without fining or filtration. It’s one of my top 10 Central Otago Pinot Noirs every year, and this vintage is one of Steve’s favourite productions so far.
A keeper and a pleasure now.
A stunning rendition offers elegance and stylish opulence. The bouquet shows dark plum, sweet cherry, floral, vanilla, and toasted nut characters with nuances of anise and olive. The palate is wonderfully weighted and concentrated, displaying a multi-layered mouthfeel and supple tannins, finishing impressively long and expansive.
Drink 2024 - 2026
Pale-mid purple. Chocolate oak and blackberry fruit. Some smoky minerality and cordite. Savoury, spicy oak and cedar to the rich blackberry. Grainy, fairly firm tannins. Fair length.
Drink 2021 - 2027