The 2008 Emma’s Block Pinot Noir has a pale ruby color and pretty floral character, plus a fragrant earthiness over restrained red currant and cherry fruit. Tight-knit, rich with a medium to firm level of silky, seductive tannins, medium-high acid and a long finish, this is a wine of profound concentration. It needs another year at least in bottle is should be best approached 2012 to 2017.
Nick Mills was very cautious about doing single block wines until he was certain that a specific area of his vineyard was showing a particular character that was worth singling out. “I don’t think vines can begin to express terroir before 15 years of age,” he pointed out as we climbed the slopes of his property, taking-in the breathtakingly gorgeous views over Lake Wanaka. After years of experiments, from 2008 Nick has started producing two single block expressions: Emma’s Block and Tinker’s Field. Both wines are very exciting new wines for Pinot lovers the world over. And for those have any doubts that Central Otago Pinots can age, I’ve added a note here for a gracefully evolving 1990 Pinot Noir (Made by Rudi Bauer, now at Quartz Reef) that I tasted with Nick at the property. All the 2008 Pinot Noirs received a similar elevage: 16 months in barrel, 25-30% new French barriques for the first winter then racked to seasoned wood for the second winter.
Importer: Station Imports, Colorado Springs, CO; tel. (719) 633-2184
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