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New Zealand Organic Wine Awards - Wine of the Show
NZ Organic Wine Awards Wine of the Show: Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2014
The 2017 “Wine of the Show” is the Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir. Despite the competition being incredibly tight our judges agreed that the Bendigo Pinot Noir was something special. Rudi Bauer has crafted a bold, powerful, yet intricately clever wine that stood out amongst this years impressive line up on Pinot Noir’s. Well worthy of wine of the show in 2014, although we can’t wait to see how this cellars over the next 6-10 years.
Click here to see full results
New Zealand Organic Wine Awards, reviewed on 05/2017
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It's only natural: the 31 wines you need to try
In a comprehensive and landmark tasting, Decanter's expert panel blind tasted 122 natural wines from all corners of the globe. Here they name their top wine as well as 10 personal favourites ...
"They are as diverse, irrepressible and idiosyncratic as the growers who produce them"
"My top wines were full of energy and freshness" - Sarah Jane Evans MW
BENDIGO ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2015
"Intensely aromatic! Roses, violet and raspberries spring to mind. It is full-bodied and generously fruity while also being light and lively. Not the most complex wine, but very likeable"
Please note: Our Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2015 has not yet been released, but is available on request by email to elaine@quartzreef.co.nz
Click here to see article
Sarah Jane Evans MW - Decanter, reviewed on 05/2017
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Cuisine Magazine - NZ Pinot Noir Tasting
SENSE & SENSITIVITY
"The growing trend for hands-off winemaking has resulted in some wonderful pinot noir, writes JOHN SAKER.
BENDIGO ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2014
5 STARS
TOP 10 PINOT NOIR
"Older vines and recent conversion to biodynamics have seen Quartz Reef pinots achieve new levels of elegance. A dark, muscular presence that is very Bendigo is present in this wine, but it is tempered by a lithe softness. Warm, dark fruit and spice notes flow evenly to a lingering finish."
Link to article here
Link to review here
Cuisine Issue 182 / May 2017
John Saker - Cuisine; NZ Pinot Noir, reviewed on 05/2017
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2014
John Saker: Winemakers try something new, throwing out the Roseworthy Rules
It wasn't long ago that a winemaker deemed to be "experimental" was one who planted a new grape variety. If the variety's name was suitably evocative (eg Albarino), the producer wasn't just experimental, but a rebellious pathfinder.
It's always interesting to see how a new variety adapts to life in Aotearoa. However, that's no longer the cool laboratory. The best experiments today are all about method, in the vineyard and winery, no matter what variety you're dealing with.
"This is one of winemaker Rudi Bauer's best yet. A recent conversion to biodynamics has led greater harmony, and this wine is a dark, settled, lithe pinot that speaks of Bendigo, its place of origin."
Click here to link to article online
A pdf of the article
John Saker, reviewed on 03/2017
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
Pinot excellent value for discerning drinkers
"Clearly powerful nose with a hint of menthol. This is a big, dense, burly beast of a wine, somewhat monolithic now and built for the long haul, with its density of fruit and powerful tannins, seasoned with an appealing savouriness and wild herbs: oak nuances and a little heat on the close.
An assault on the senses for now; give this some time."
Rating: Very good
Click here to link to this Otago Daily Times article/review
Mark Henderson - Otago Daily Times, reviewed on 03/2017
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Top 2014 Pinot Noir - Central Otago
TOP 2014 PINOT NOIR
CENTRAL OTAGO
# 6 - QUARTZ REEF BENDIGO ESTATE PINOT NOIR
Link (Featured Top Chart)
Link to review (subscription required)
Review PDF
Bob Campbell www.bobcampbell.net, reviewed on 10/2016
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Southern Sensations
Southern sensations
No 1 - Quartz top drop
2013 Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir
Rudi Bauer has made Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir every year since 2001 from a selection of the top grapes from Bendigo, chosen by Bauer and his winemaking team.
Bendigo is one of the sunniest of Central Otago's grape growing areas, which means that it often ripens grapes earliest and they can contain relatively big tannins - a plus for Pinot.
This wine is full of pluses - it's full bodied with pronounced red fruit flavours of cherries and ripe plums, which are nicely integrated with subtle aromas of cloves, nutmeg and earth.
It drinks beautifully right now and has the ability to evolve positively in the bottle for up to a decade.
www.drinksbiz.co.nz
Joelle Thomoson - drinksbiz Aug/Sep 2016, reviewed on 08/2016
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2014
96 / 100
Dense, concentrated, rich and quite fleshy wine with dark cherry, plum, wood smoke and spicy oak. A little closed and youthful but showing impressive intensity and cellaring potential. Can be enjoyed now but will benefit from bottle age. (Screwcap)
http://www.therealreview.com/2016/08/06/bendigo-benchmark/
The Real Review - Bob Campbell MW www.therealreview.com, reviewed on 08/2016
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Return to Middle-Earth: Central Otago
Return to Middle-Earth: Central Otago
Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2014
Firm yet equally feminine in style with loads expressive fruit and star anise notes. It is stylish and articulate. Overall, great concentration, weight and structure with attractive vibrancy.
Daenna Van Mulligen - Wine Diva www.winediva.ca, reviewed on 06/2016
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Return to Middle-Earth: Central Otago
Return to Middle-Earth: Central Otago
Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
This wine is chosen from the vineyard not by barrel selection and it's not always same block. It is a small production, only 1200 bottles. Bauer poured it specifically to show me a different picture of this vineyard. It is a very expressive wine with ruby into purple-ish berries alongside chocolate and cedar with tea leaf. Amazing structure and brightness with quite firm but fine tannins.
Daenna Van Mulligen - Wine Diva www.winediva.ca, reviewed on 06/2016
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
90 / 100
http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com/
Wine & Spirits Magazine, reviewed on 04/2016
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WEEKEND WINE - JOELLE THOMSON
Joelle Thomson discusses Central Otago Pinot Noir with Jesse Mulligan
Click here to link to the broadcast
Be sure to listen to near the end, when they talk about our Bendigo Estate Single Ferment Pinot Noir 2013
Joelle Thomoson, reviewed on 03/2016
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
91+
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2013 Bendigo Estate Single Ferment Pinot Noir gives relatively delicate cranberry, red currant and forest floor notes with hints of dried herbs, lavender and dusty earth. Medium-bodied with vivacious red berry flavors supported by fine grained tannins and oodles of freshness, it finishes with an earthy / herbal lift.
Vintage Profile New Zealand: Part 1 (subscription log-in may be required)
Lisa Perrotti-Brown; eRobertParker.com #222 Dec 2015, reviewed on 12/2015
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE MAGAZINE
100 TOP NEW RELEASE WINES
95/100
Firmly structured wine typical of a vintage that encourages cellaring (as a general rule, drink the 2014 wines before 2013).
A fine-grained pinot with dark cherry, spice, a strong influence of nutty oak and a savoury/dried herb character.
DEC/JAN 2016 issue: Page 141-151
Gourmet Traveller Wine
Bob Campbell MW, reviewed on 12/2015
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
"Classic"
Designed for cellaring, this emerging Central Otago star is estate-grown on a steep, north-facing, 'seriously warm' site at Bendigo. The 2013 vintage (5*) is deep ruby, savoury and complex. A powerful young wine, it is concentrated, with ripe plum, spice and nutty oak flavours, good tannin support, and obvious potential; open 2017+. Certified biodynamic.
michaelcooper.co.nz (subscription required)
Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide 2016 New Zealand Wines, reviewed on 11/2015
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
95/100
Dense, ripe, fine-grained Pinot Noir with dark cherry, spice, anise, a strong influence of nutty oak and a subtle savoury, dried herb character. The wine has a structure of firm, fine tannins that make it slightly hard to read now, but suggest good cellaring potential.
Click here to link to site (subscription required for full review)
Bob Campbell MW www.bobswinereviews.com, reviewed on 09/2015
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Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
Elegant, fruity, complex and inviting bouquet with a gentle soft herb note and moderate+ oak. On the palate – dry with medium to firm tannins and acidity; a layer of complexity emerges with a mineral and lightly floral layer; red fruits and soft brown spices, balanced and well made though still integrating over the next 2 years.
Cameron Douglas MS - TheShout NZ/HospitalityBusiness, reviewed on 06/2015
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WINE AS COMPANY
...
The Central Otago landscape is young, wild and dynamic, much like its wine industry and without coincidence I suspect. To remind me of this sense of awe, I’d open a bottle of the Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir. Made by regional spearhead and beloved madman Rudi Bauer, this wine is wilder than beautiful but something close to it, much like the place and not surprisingly, its people.
...
Click here to link to article
Andrea Frost - Tim Atkin.com, reviewed on 02/2015
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
The Austrian Rudi Bauer knows how to combine traditional practices with new, innovative techniques. Result? A wine of beauty and grace with subtlety and finely tuned smooth tannins. Just when you thought it was all light, perfumed aromatic herbs, a wave of power kicks in that seems to last forever. Succulent and perfect with venison or duck.
Click here to article online
John Hawkesby - NZ Herald, reviewed on 02/2015
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2011
90 / 100
Click here to link to site - subscription required for tasting note
Jeannie Cho Lee - Le Pan Media, reviewed on 01/2015
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
92 / 100
Click here to link to site - subscription required for tasting note
Jeannie Cho Lee - Le Pan Media, reviewed on 01/2015
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2013
93 / 100
Click here to link to site - subscription required for tasting note
Jeannie Cho Lee - Le Pan Media, reviewed on 01/2015
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
93 / 100
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2012 Bendigo Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir has a lovely nose of warm cherry coulis, cassis and blackberries with hints of violets and dark chocolate plus a waft of cloves. Medium bodied and packed with red and black fruit flavors, it has a soild backbone of grainy tannins and long perfumed finish.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown; eRobertParker.com #216Dec 2014, reviewed on 12/2014
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GOURMET TRAVELLER WINE - 100 TOP NEW RELEASES
Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
96/100 - Outstanding wine
Richer and more intense than the regular label - clearly a better drop although not showing the seductive charm of the lighter and more perfumed wine. Black cherry, blackcurrant, thyme and dark chocolate.
Bob Campbell - Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine Aug/Sep 2014, reviewed on 08/2014
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2012
95 / 100
Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Blättrige Nuancen, die an 2008 erinnern, zart balsamische Nuancen, ein Hauch von Dörrfeigen, mit rotbeeriger Frucht unterlegt, zart nach Bergamotte. Saftig, lebendig, salzige Textur, noch sehr jung und etwas unzugänglich, wirkt im Abgang noch ein klein wenig sperrig, braucht seine Zeit, feine süße Kirschenfrucht im Nachhall, wird sich zu einem tollen Speisenbegleiter entwickeln.
Link to Review
www.falstaff.at
www.wein-papst.at
Falstaff Magazine - Peter Moser, reviewed on 06/2014
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2008
94 / 100
Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dunkler Kern, mittlerer Wasserrand. Rauchig, nach Kerzendocht, Brombeeren, zart nach Orangenzesten, dunkles Waldbeerenkonfit. Stoffig, elegant, finessenreich strukturiert, angenehme Extraktsüße, reife Kirschen, mineralisch und ausgewogen, hocheleganter, bereits zugänglicher Speisenbegleiter.
Please Note: We still have this wine available in Magnum only format
Link to Article here
Falstaff Magazine - Peter Moser, reviewed on 05/2014
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Nick's Top Picks of 2012 Central Otago Pinot Noir
Nick's Top Picks of 2012 Central Otago Pinot Noir
Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir
Boldly fruited and structurally crafted, this has tremendous volume.
Read full article here
Nick Stock - Gourmet Traveller Wine, reviewed on 05/2014
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OLDER & WISER
With an impressive 2012 vintage setting a new benchmark, Central Otago pinot noir is throwing off its training wheels and living up to the hype.
PINOT NOIR FROM CENTRAL OTAGO can be described as sizzling hot or uber-cool, depending which generation you come from ...
QUARTZ REEF BENDIGO ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2011
From Bauer's Bendigo subregion vineyard, this pinot is both intense and dense, with aromas of violet and exotic spice, and flavours of plump plum and chocolate-coated coffee beans. It's suitably framed by tight, mineral tannins.
Read full article here
Peter Bourne - QANTAS MAGAZINE - TASTE WINE, reviewed on 05/2014
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2010
Quartz Reef 2010 Pinot Noir Bendigo Estate Central Otago
92/100
This Pinot Noir offers spicy dark cherry fruit with some earthiness on the nose. It is soft and velvet like on the palate with very good depth of dark fruit flavors, integrated toasted oak, and firm sweet tannins on a persistent finish. Delicious. Aged in French oak, 15% new.
Don Winkler i-winereview.com, reviewed on 06/2013
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2010
95 POINTS
Rudi Bauer is a mainstay of Central Otago and his 2010s are the finest I can recall from his Bendigo vineyard.
A lovely fragrant violet lift and outstanding complexity of exotic spice flow into black fruits of great line and focus, with a mineral finesse to well-composed tannins.
Tyson Stelzer - Wine Taste Weekly Edition 112 www.tysonstelzer.com, reviewed on 05/2013
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2011
Wine: Passion for pinot
Dense and voluptuous plum fruit is woven around a tight core of acid and mineral in Quartz Reef's stunning and well structured flagship wine.
(From selected branches of Glengarry, Point Wines, Caro's, Finer Wines, Scenic Cellars.)
Read full article here
Jo Burzynska - Viva Food & Drink, New Zealand Herald, reviewed on 03/2013
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2011
An emerging star of Central Otago. Designed for cellaring, it is estate-grown on a steep, north-facing, ‘seriously warm’ site at the north-east end of Lake Dunstan, at Bendigo Station. The 2010 vintage is a dark, authoritative wine, combining power with approachability. Likely to flourish for a decade, it is very savoury and nutty, with layers of very ripe plum, cherry and spice flavours, fine-grained tannins and a rich, rounded finish.
The 2011 is 'the single ferment that best expresses' the site. Deep and youthful in colour, it was matured for 11 months in French oak casks (16 per cent new). A beautifully flowing red with dense cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, it is very full-bodied (14.5 per cent alcohol), but not tough, with buried tannins. A classic, thought-provoking, 'brooding' style, it's still a baby
Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2013, reviewed on 11/2012
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2011
96/100
My favourite Bendigo producer has really delivered a very classy wine this vintage.
Made from hand-picked grapes grown on a 15-hectare hillside vineyard.
The wine is a single ferment (that is, not a blend of several ferments). It is matured in predominantly one-year-old French barriques and is intense, subtly smooth and succulent without the flatness that dogs some other wines from this promising district.
Linear, focused pinot noir that is beautifully structured and shows terrific aging potential.
Bob Campbell, Gourmet Traveller Wine Oct/Nov 2012, reviewed on 11/2012
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Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Pinot Noir 2011
94/100
My favourite Bendigo producer has really delivered a very classy wine this vintage. It is intense and subtly smooth and succulent without the flatness that dogs some other wines from this promising district. Linear, focused Pinot Noir that is beautifully structured and shows terrific ageing potential.
www.bobswinereviews.com
http://www.bobswinereviews.com/quartz-reef-bendigo-estate-central-otago-nz-pinot-noir-2011-review.html
Bob Campbell, reviewed on 07/2012
