2007 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir, Waipara, NZ (Stelvin)

The 2007 Pinot Noir shows a little more ripeness and exoticism on the nose, smudged at first but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate has more weight and concentration than the 2006, black cherry, plum and black olive on the entry, sturdy tannins yet retaining finesse with a primal, brooding finish. Great potential.

There are winemakers and then there is the one and only CP Lin, Mountford's blind winemaker. This is someone who puts his neck on the line when it comes to winemaking and I have found his wines to be either valiant failures or stunning successes. Whatever you may think, it is always exciting to open a bottle of Mountford and New Zealand needs people like CP.
(Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - Issue #184 - Sep 2009)