Wine Review - 2012 Stoneleigh Latitude Pinot Noir: Elegant And Unique Pinot Noir

New Zealand was the first table we visited at the 2014 NSLC Port of Wines Festival so our palates were fresh.  We have had good luck with Stoneleigh Wines and this one truly delivers.  The price point for Kiwi wines was a bit higher than in previous years but the quality of wines were very high.  Both the whites and the reds were very solid across the board.  This wine however, was a stand out among them.  It is not a typical NZ Pinot Noir in many respects but holds true to the region in others.  The one adjective that stands out for this wine overall is "Elegance".  There is a refinement that other Pinot Noirs just don't have.

In the glass the most noticeable variance from typical is that the wine, though ‎still quite light, is a much darker purple on the colour wheel.  The wine remains watery and this looking as one might expect but if the picture does it any justice at all it should the purple that you can see.

The nose is full of strawberry‎ jelly and raisins.  It holds a very full bodied nose and is not at all grassy as we might see from a 'typical' version of the grape.  Layered under that are cloves and vanilla that make this a really nice wine to smell.  In a blind tasting we think this wine might trip up some talented sniffers with the unconventional smells.

The elegance truly shines on the tongue where the strawberries continue and the tasting is much more Pinot Noir with a thin mouthfeel.  The tongue coating nature is an interesting spin and is followed by an earthy mid-palate.  All along the wine remains balanced with a beautiful and extended finish.  Juicy and luscious are what we get and we love it,

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Light bodied and watery but a much darker purple than normal for NZ Pinot Noir.	4.5
Smell (0-5)	Strawberry jelly and raisins with cloves and vanilla.	4.25
Taste (0-10)	Elegant wine with strawberries and earthy notes and an extended finish.	9.25
	Total:	18 / 20 (90%)

This is a $30 Pinot Noir locally and it is worth that price, no doubt.  It's not often we get unique and elegant wrapped up into one and it is awesome.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon