Reserve

Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2020

The Pinot Noir grape has its roots in Burgundy, where the area of origin is immensely important. We couldn’t be prouder of our own ‘grand cru’ from an extraordinary growing season. Taste the generous fruit and fine tannins in every drop.

The black Family Reserve label indicates an exceptional vintage.

 

$45.00 NZD

Tasting Notes

The deeply coloured Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2020 bursts with power and concentration. Generous black cherries, spice and savoury notes are underpinned with fine tannins and beautiful weight, simply captivating.

Read Winemaker’s Notes
A vineyard worker picking beautifully ripe Pinot Noir grapes.  She is wearing yellow rubber gloves, a pink t-shirt and a blue hat.  On the ground there are two white picking buckets.
Sunrise over Blackenbrook Vineyard.  The vines are covered in white bird-netting.  The orange morning light reflects of the netting, giving the image a dreamy feel.

Reviews

Gold Medal New Zealand International Wine Show

Auckland, October 2022

94/100 Bob Campbell MW, therealreview.com

A very favourable vintage has produced this riper-than-usual pinot noir while maintaining good acidity.
A concentrated version with cassis, black cherry, Black Doris plum, wood smoke and a suggestion of baked-earth character. A weighty wine with a backbone of fine, peppery tannins. Should develop well with bottle age.

Winemaker Daniel Schwarzenbach carrying a case of Blackenbrook wine through the winery.  He is wearing a dark green jersey and a grey hat. In the background there are some stainless steel wine tanks.

The season

What a blast! The growing season was a pure delight, putting smiles on everyone’s face!

The vines loved the gentle spring rain and quickly produced a healthy, vibrantly green canopy. In December, our Nelson sun made for perfect flowering and good pollination.

Summer brought many weeks of blue skies, interspersed with brief rain falls, just enough to keep the soil moisture up and the vines thriving.

We couldn’t believe our luck when we saw this weather pattern continue right into harvest in mid-March! The fruit was in perfect condition with high sugar levels and tremendous flavour intensity, probably the best we’ve ever seen it.