Forrest Estate John Forrest Collection Waitaki Pinot Noir 2011
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wilfred
Wong
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby with a hint of purple, the 2011 John Forrest Collection Waitaki Pinot Noir offers gorgeous evolved Pinot notes of earth, meat and game with some truffle and mushroom hints over a core of cherry coulis and raspberry preserves. Light bodied, it fills the palate with lovely delicate red fruits and remarkable freshness with silky tannins carrying the fruit to a long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This elegant wine shows why the Waitaki Valley is an up-and-coming region. The fruit is ripe and cherry-laden, yet there’s also earthy, mushroomy depth, imparting a strong savory element. Weight and richness combine with silkiness and length.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Stand back and be prepared to enjoy one of the world's top Pinot Noirs, the no-holds barred 2011 John Forrest Collection Pinot Noir wakes the palate with its bold personality and flavors that run the gamut, this is a fully-loaded wine. Deep garnet color; candied strawberry, dried orange peels in the nose, beautiful earth; medium bodied, packed and firm on the palate; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; bold, red and black fruit flavors with an intense hit of leather and earth; long finish, memorable aftertaste. (Tasted: August 14, 2015, San Francisco, CA)
Leaving behind careers in molecular biology and medicine, John and Brigid returned to Marlborough in 1988 to establish their first vineyard at Renwick - at the heart of the stony Wairau River Valley.
Vintage 1990 saw the first Forrest wine and immediate success with a trophy at the national wine awards - success that has been repeated many times both nationally and internationally over the subsequent vintages.
To the often asked question "why did you do it?" the answer is, a mixture of the wine 'passion' and a desire to achieve and be recognized and rewarded for one's efforts. In hindsight we struck upon a career which suits our personalities - a perfect blend of art and science.
Grape growing and winemaking is an exacting science, however it must have the artistic touch to give the wines 'soul'. That individual expression of style is the trademark of our wines - rich aromatic white wine, and powerfully scented reds - all impeccably structured and a joy to drink.
New Zealand Pinot Noir has jumped onto the world wine stage with recent but rapid growth in quality and recognition. Pinot Noir didn’t develop a significant presence in New Zealand until the late 1980’s, and production stayed small in the beginning. But plantings doubled between 2003 and 2013, quality jumped and the world took notice. This is partly due to the propogation of one specific clone, the Abel clone (named after the customs agent who discovered vine cuttings hidden in a boot) that is rumored to be originally from Burgundy’s famous, Domaine de la Romanee Conti.
Pinot Noir is grown throughout New Zealand, but the majority hails from the South Island. The most important North Island region is Wairarapa, near the southern tip. Here the thin, poor soils and frost danger keep yields low. But the long growing season and dramatic diurnal temperature shift lead to dry, earthy Pinot Noir wines that in good years, show terrific red fruit and lovely depth.
The South Island in New Zealand has three regions of great significance. Marlborough Pinot Noirs hail mostly from the Awatere Valley, which is slightly drier and cooler than the Wairau Valley. The grape is grown for both sparkling and still wines, with the latter showing improvement as the vines age. The Canterbury region is composed of small producers making handcrafted Pinot Noirs that show tantalizing promise. Finally, Central Otago in New Zealand is the world’s southernmost wine region. Summers here are short but extremely sunny and dry, with cold nights that preserve grape acidity. Otago Pinot Noir wines show earthy and herbal notes, as well as vivacious red fruit flavors that are as bright as they are ripe. It is unusual, in fact, to find a Pinot that is under 14% alcohol. Taken together, New Zealand Pinot Noirs offer a wealth of delightful options for fans of this variety.