2021 Aroha Pinot Noir

The 2021 Aroha Te Muna Pinot Noir was fermented with 32% whole bunches. Medium ruby-purple in color, it opens with vivacious notions of cranberry preserves, pomegranate, lavender, and jasmine tea, with star anise and Sichuan pepper in the background. The medium-bodied palate is bright and youthful, with lively red berry flavors and herbal undertones, framed by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and perfumed.
93/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown; The Wine Independent

Aroha Craggy Range 2021 (Te Muna Road, Martinborough, New Zealand; 100% Pinot Noir; a final yield of 25 hl/ha; aged in French oak barrels, 30% of which were new; pH 3.69; 13.5% alcohol). From the Maori word for love. The second release of this wine. Subtle and delicate on the nose, but with a pleasing sense of vertical lift. Crisp, crunchy plump raspberry and red stone fruits, wild thyme, girolles and white tuffle and a hint of wood smoke. Also, fresh buttered corn seared in a pan and a little toasted brioche; a touch of espresso coffee too and roasted walnut shell. Very soft and gracious on the attack with ultra-fine grained, juicy but substantial tannins. Fresh and with plenty of sapidity, accentuated by the slightly ferrous and distinctly saline minerality. Long and nicely delineated on the finish. Impressive.
94/100 Colin Hay; The Drinks Business

This is crunchy and vibrant, with raspberry, soft floral aromatics and fresh acidity, deepened by waves of blueberry and morello cherry through the mid palate. Subtle toasted oak, with warm incense, cumin and smoke as it opens. 2021 saw an extremely similar growing season to last year's excellent 2020 vintage, but this year they increased whole bunch fermentation from 20% to 50%, and lowered the new oak to 27%, still native yeast fermentation, unfiltered with a light fining. In organic conversion. Director David T Peabody, chief winemaker Julian Grounds, from the Te Muna Road region of Martinborough. You can keep this a few years, or enjoy it now.
95/100 Jane Anson