"A few other Pinot Noirs I purchased were from New Zealand, most notably Central Otago. I realize that New Zealand Pinot is not exactly obscure, but New Zealand’s blockbuster variety, Sauvignon Blanc, makes it seem so.
Some regard Central Otago, on the country’s South Island, as one of the best locations for planting Pinot, and the Central Otago Pinots I tasted were all pretty well made.
But the 2021 Quartz Reef Central Otago Bendigo Pinot Noir was the TRUE STAR.
The Bendigo subregion, near Queenstown on the slopes of the Dunstan mountains, produces particularly full-bodied wines, and the Quartz Reef Pinot certainly fit the profile: a medium- to full-bodied wine with fine-grained tannins, marked by dark fruit notes. Winemaker Rudi Bauer has been making acclaimed New Zealand Pinots for several decades. His experience shows in this remarkably elegant wine marked by crisp acidity and red fruit aromas."
If you haven't got some, I suggest you do; before it's gone
