Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2008

Central Otago, New Zealand

$37-42 (coming soon)
www.twopaddocks.com

Wow – Playhouse Wine Festival week.  Busy times.  And that’s putting it mildly.  1700 wines, 196 wineries, 14 countries, 63 events, 7 days.  Plus 25,000 wine drinkers in attendance.  Certifiably busy.

And there is no busier place than the grand central hub of it all – the International Festival Tasting Room. For two days (trade) and three nights (public) this room lofty room at the VCC has seen more swirling, sipping and spitting than any other in Vancouver.  It takes a few spins of the room to get your bearings. Theme regions, Argentina and New Zealand, have special consideration and critical mass clumping.  There were many surprises – and many delights.

One table that I had to keep circling to pounce on was Two Paddocks, from NZ’s Central Otago region. The buzz about this winery preceded its arrival at Playhouse.  Sometime Hollywood actor Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) is the proprietor of this small family estate winery – and entirely dedicated to producing wines (primarily Pinot Noir, plus Riesling) that sing the praises of their region’s terroir.  Sam was in attendance at the festival – graciously shaking hands, granting interviews and pouring, pouring, pouring. He had as many people gawking at him as tasting.  There were two Pinot Noirs at the booth, and these – plus a Riesling – will soon be available for purchase in BC thanks to the amazing and astute team at New World Wines (www.newworldwines.ca). The top tier PN – Two Paddocks Central Otago – is a lovely cool climate PN.

Silky and elegant, but pensively so – with dark cherry, floral, leather and wet earth notes in this light-medium bodied wine.  In my lunatic tasting book: “rocky edge that will most certainly mellow with age.” And “heaps of character.”  Fitting for an actor, no?

Rating:  (click here to see what our wine ratings mean)