Dog Point Pinot Noir 2018

Bob Campbell MW
95/100punten
Supple, vibrant pinot noir with cherry, violet, blackcurrant leaf, spice, anise, and subtle nutty oak flavours. High-energy wine with impressive purity. An elegant and youthful pinot noir with obvious cellaring potential.

James Suckling
94/100 punten
Attractive, earthy and spicy aromas are wound seamlessly into bright, red and darker cherries. This is complex and fragrant with dialed-in oak. The palate has impressively intense red-cherry flavors with succulent acidity and smooth, fluid tannins. Composed finish.

Cameron Douglas MS
93/100 punten
Complex, varietal and very inviting bouquet with aromas of sweet red berries, plum, tea and roses layered between  scents of vanilla and mild toasty wood spices. On the palate – youthful, firm, fruity, varietal and dry. Flavours of cherry  and plum then vanilla and raw sugar of newish oak precede textures of firm chalky tannins and medium+ acidity. A wine that still required development time to soften the tannins a little more and allow for more integration and harmony.

Vinous
91/100 punten
An understated Pinot Noir that is self-assured on the midpalate. It has a lovely sense of sinew, providing a chalky tension through the midweight core, which is emphasized further by the streak of cool-climate acidity. This isn't fruit-forward; it's a more savory expression, with high violet notes providing the top line of the score and subtle herb and cedar notes (30% new French oak) bringing up the base. Already starting to drink well, this has the structure to evolve from now to the mid-term.

Jancis Robinson
17/20 punten
Paler and less blue than the exceptional Dog Point 2017 Pinot Noir. Transparent garnet. Sweet, violet-scented fruit. Very gentle, delicate and nuanced but not quite as compelling as the 2017. It's savoury and dry – there's no distracting sweetness, no beetroot quality, no obvious oakiness. Very light vegetal note but it's fully ripe fruit. So neat! You could certainly enjoy it now but I suspect it might be even better next year.  Amazing that one producer can be so good at both Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, and pretty smart Chardonnay too.