2021 Clayvin SV5096 Pinot Noir

$75.00

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This is our forth release of a Pinot Noir we’ve made from the esteemed Clayvin vineyard, it’s labelled under our SV5096 designation which recognises its organic certification and its special status as one of our SV wines. We feel very privileged to be allowed to have some fruit from this very special part of Marlborough’s history. The Clayvin Vineyard was first established, at the top of the Brancott Valley, in 1991 and was the first significant hillside vineyard in Marlborough. It is now under the careful custodianship of the Giesen family and is fully certified organic with BioGro NZ.

This SV5096 release will sit alongside our SV5182 wines from our home block to showcase what we can do with Pinot Noir from these two sites. We feel that this 2021 release showcases the best expression of the Clayvin vineyard and the stellar quality of the Pinot Noir from great vineyard sites in Marlborough.

Tasting Notes

This Pinot Noir exhibits a gorgeous perfumed fragrance of ripe raspberry and floral notes, with more brooding fruit and darker tones revealed underneath. The finely textured, silky tannins combine with vibrant flavours of ripe strawberries and omega plum with fantastic mid palate density. The palate carries onto more savoury and complex flavours and finishes with great line and length of finely grained supple tannin and well integrated oak. Bottled un-fined.

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Reviews

Sam Kim 99 Points
This is totally seductive on the nose, showing dark cherry, sweet raspberry, rich floral, game and warm spice aromas, followed by a richly textured palate offering exceptional drive and persistency. The oak is discreet and gorgeously infused, combined with layers of polished tannins, making the wine symphonic and seamlessly structured. A profound offering with density and power, yet with no hard edges, finishing magnificently long and flatteringly classy. At its best: 2025 to 2039

Cameron Douglas MS 96 Points Outstanding
A bouquet and palate of ripeness and youth with flavours of dark cherry and black raspberry flesh, there’s spiced plums and boysenberry the layers of mineral and earth that can only come from site – a mix of stony dry clay and greywacke. The oak sits nicely just behind these fruit and soil qualities layering in some baking spice and quiet wood smoke complexities. Tannins and acidity are vibrant, polished and refreshing. A wine with class and style, taut and youthful mouthfeel and lengthy persistent flavours. Best drinking from 2026 through 2036. A plush, elegant wine.

Bob Campbell MW 96 points Top Rank 
Fragrantly aromatic pinot with attractive floral, raspberry, cherry, vanilla, and subtle spice flavours. Impressive density, power and length with an attractive core of fruit sweetness. Elegant wine that is delicious to drink now but should develop well with bottle age. 2023–2029

Stephen Wong MW 94 Points Top Rank “A Cru in the Making”
Clayvin is one of Marlborough’s most recognised and celebrated vineyards. Over the years, it has been farmed and crafted by several different producers; Fromm, Giesen (who now own it), Tongue in Groove and Te Whare Ra. Anna and Jason Flowerday have a close relationship to these vines and I find Anna’s interpretation of the vineyard fascinating.
Unlike their homeblock SV5182 Pinot Noir, which is a delicately perfumed, Chambolle-esque wine, Clayvin really asserts its personality in a contrasting way. Brooding, firm, muscular and and unyielding with a stronger oak signature in its youth, it is a wine which needs considerable patience before it will reveal its treasures. These Clayvin wines will last in your cellar and provide fascinating exploration in a decade if you manage to secure the full set for a comparative tasting!
Perfumed floral and blackberry aromas, quite intense spice, probably from a seasoning of whole-bunch. Moments of clarity in the fruit between deep layers of smoky oak. Very brooding and muscular, earthy, black-fruited and tightly closed. There is huge concentration, great intensity of fruit and depth on the full-bodied palate, but it’s in an awkward phase right now where the oak and tannins are clamping down on the finish rather than letting the wine flow. Needs considerable time to meld and relax before it is approachable. This is a wine of power and muscle, rather than elegance and delicacy. (Screwcap) Jan 2024

James Suckling 96 points 
Delightful and lively red fruits and floral notes followed by pomelo zest, sweet squash and crushed cherry tomatoes. Medium-bodied with refreshing acidity and finely grained velvety tannins. Subtle cedar and toasty undertones on the palate. Elegant and balanced wine displaying great complexity and purity. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate 94 points 
The 2021 Clayvin Single Vineyard 5096 Pinot Noir leads with an incredibly aromatic nose of rose petal, red cherry, shaved fennel, star anise and hints of freshly grated nutmeg. In the mouth, the wine is supple and ductile—the acidity is almost tart—like biting into a sweet red apple. The tannins are super fine/silty, with an attractive chewiness through the finish. The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Southern Valleys, where the soil is denser than the valley floor and responsible for Pinots of greater density, concentration and power. Flavor follows soil/geology. A smart wine, so give it time.

Jo Burzynska Viva NZ Wine Awards 2024 Top 50 Wines
Silky textured with considerable weight to its rich herb-infused plum fruit but still wonderfully fresh and light on its feet.

Vinous Rebecca Gibb MW 91 Points
The 2021 Pinot Noir SV Clayvin is a ripe, almost creamy style whose power has been tamed by it’s makers. Richly fruited, full of red berry fruit, spice and florality. A high percentage of whole berry gives a lovely perfume, while plenty of time on the skins – close to 4 weeks – offers an abundance of savory, textured tannin. It’s power is compact and provides drive on a satisfying finish.

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