Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

2020 Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir Blank Canvas Wines NZ

Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020

$55.00 NZD

PDF Tasting Sheet

Vineyard: Settlement Vineyard
Subregion: Omaka Valley | Southern Valleys
Region: Marlborough
Vintage: 2020
Soil Type: Shallow layer of wind-blown loess over low vigour clay loams.
Clone: Dijon clone 777
Viticulture: BioGro certified organic and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified (SWNZ).
Growers: Sutherland, Healy and Beattie families
Viticulturist: Nigel Sowman

Appellation Marlborough Wine Certified (AMW) | Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand Certified (SWNZ) | BioGro Organic Certified

This is our second release of the Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir. It is a classic representation of Pinot Noir from the Omaka with incredible density and power. Ripe blue and red fruits transition seamlessly to an attractive savoury edge of forest floor and sappy aromatic spices. It is an incredibly structured and impressive wine and is built to age.

We hand-harvested the Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir on the 24th March 2020. Two thirds of the handpicked fruit was left as whole clusters while the balance was destemmed and crushed over the top in the open-tank fermenter. The fruit was kept cool until natural fermentation commenced after four days. The tank was hand-plunged throughout its 15-day fermentation period after which we drained and pressed the wine to barrel where it completed natural malolactic fermentation. The oak regime was 100% French oak barriques, all low-toast level (35% new) for 12 months, with a further 3 months in tank to gently and naturally settle. We bottled the wine without filtration on the 3rd July 2021 and it was released on the 1st November 2022.

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Reviews

5 STARS

"The classy, youthful 2020 vintage was hand-harvested from clone 777 vines planted in the early 2000s in the Omaka Valley. Bright ruby, it is mouth-filling, sweet-fruited, concentrated and structured, with ripe cherry and plum flavours, complex and savoury. Still very fresh and vigorous, it's well worth cellaring to 2025+."

- MICHAEL COOPER MA ONZM

95 POINTS

"Attractively aromatic wine with floral/violet, red cherry, grape stems and a suggestion of classy oak. Elegant wine with high energy, crushed herb flavours. Approachable now but with good cellaring potential."

- BOB CAMPBELL MW

94 POINTS

"A youthful core of dark red cherry and fruit spice, there’s a distinctive perfume of rose then wild berries and oak spice. A fine white smoke note from barrel and soft silty soil earthy quality layers in breadth and complexity. Lots of core red fruit flavours touch the palate first then textures from finer polished tannins, plenty of acidity and a fine saline quality. Fresh, varietal balanced, a nice tautness and gentle squeeze, well made, youthful still and lengthy. Best drinking from 2024 through 2030. Be great to see this wine in a year."

- CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

17 POINTS

"Mid to light garnet. More Côte de Beaune than Côte de Nuit in its red-fruit profile and without the sweetness I often find on a Marlborough Pinot, and with a suggestion of spice and floral notes. So it could even be Chambolle ... Elegant, pure-fruited, mouth-watering and with a lovely mix of savoury character and red-fruits. Very fine tannins, almost chalky at the end. Beautiful hand-crafted Pinot. Mouth-watering, light-bodied, between seductive and cerebral with juicy and floral intensity on the palate on the day after opening."

- JULIA HARDING MW | JANCISROBINSON.COM

93 POINTS

"The 2020 Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir is an exposed site and it's only the second vintage from Blank Canvas. It's made using two-thirds whole cluster and is initially a little shy but there's layers of flavor from cherry and black tea, to spices and wild, woody herbs. Expect a light grip from the tannins and a sense of tension on the finish akin to a tightening belt."

- REBECCA GIBB MW | VINOUS.COM

92 POINTS

"Attractive dried strawberries and sweet plums with some orange peel undertones. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a rough silk textured finish. Succulent. Tangy too Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap."

- JAMES SUCKLING

90 POINTS

"I like the Settlement Vineyard. It is a topographically varied place, with an assortment of varieties and clones servicing many different cuvees and producers. Here, the 2020 Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir is sappy and spiced with star anise, sour red cherry, layers of sarsaparilla and freshly grated nutmeg. The acidity in the mouth is lively to the point of verging on tart, but it has energy and life, which I like. Nice wine! 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap."