Awards
GOLD – International Wine Challenge 2016 (London)
GOLD - Sydney International Wine Competition
5 STARS - Michael Cooper's NZ Wine Buyer's Guide 2016
5 STARS - Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
SILVER – Decanter World Wine Awards 2016
SILVER – Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
SILVER – Royal Easter Show Wine Awards
Reviews
Michael Cooper – Michael Cooper's Wine Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines - FIVE STARS
The more robust and concentrated 2014 (5 stars) was matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (26 per cent new.) Deeply coloured, it is a powerful, savoury wine with deep, ripe plum, spice and dried herb flavours, moderately firm tannins, and obvious potential; open 2017+.http://michaelcooper.co.nz/wine_review/grasshopper...
Bob Campbell MW – The Real Review - 95/100 - FIVE STARS
Delicately scented pinot noir with appealing cherry, spice and mineral flavours. Light to medium-bodied but not lacking in power, as evidenced by the wine's lengthy finish. Quite Burgundian in style but with a strong Alexandra signature. Class wine at a competitive price. May 2016. http://www.therealreview.com/2016/05/28/grasshoppe...
The Wine Advocate #224 –Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - 91/100
Pale to medium-ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir has a lovely nose of kirsch, violets and lavender with some gentle herb and garrigue nuances in the background. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully fine and elegant with a seamless backbone of fine tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. April 2016
Burghound – Allen Meadows - 89 pts
A discreet but not invisible touch of wood sets off the high-toned and agreeably fresh nose of cranberry, raspberry and cherry scents. The light weight (though not dilute), supple and lilting flavors possess good delineation before terminating in a clean, focused and intense finish that packs excellent flavor authority into its lighter weight frame. This isn't particularly complex and it's on the fruitier side yet I very much like the delivery. Note that my rating offers the benefit of the doubt that more depth will arrive with a few years of bottle age. 89/2020+
Decanter – Cameron Douglas MS 92/100
Complex with a core of mineral, ripe fruit and judicious oak. Sweet spices and toasty. Fleshy, lush and vibrant, firm tannins, backbone of acidity, dried herb, red beet, textured. Drink 2016-2022. - Decanter, December 2015
International Wine Challenge 2016 – GOLD
Mid-cherry hue, muscular varietal character, with silky stylish ripe raspberries. Good acidity and balance with a lingering finish. May 2016
Decanter World Wine Awards 2016 - SILVER
91/100. Quite a classy PN - fairly closed at this stage but with structure and showing redcurrant jelly, dried cranberry, red cherry, violet and spice/anise flavours. A moderately oaky crowd pleaser that has some cellaring potential. May 2016
Decanter – tasting panel – 88 points, Recommended
Enticing floral aromas and flavours with notes of sage and parsely, making for an appealing sweet 'n' sour nuance, along with a pure mineral core. September 2016
Joelle Thomson – Drinksbiz
Winemaking doesn't get much edgier than Alexandra, the most eastern and southern of all Central Otago's cool climate wine producing areas. The lovely Grasshopper Rock Earnscleugh Vineyard Pinot Noir is a direct expression on this sub region, with its high acidity being the refreshing hallmark of this super fresh, pale ruby coloured Pinot with its bright red cherry flavours and upfront juicy acidity adding bite and crunch. It drinks well now and will age beautifully too. August 2016
Otago Daily Times – Mark Henderson. – Rating: Excellent
Dark fruits and raspberry here with a beguiling perfume. The palate brings in the cherry notes and an appealing savoury undercurrent; rhubarb with time. Rich, rounded, supple, yet with delicacy and freshness. Some firmness at first, which softens: this wine has an element of mystery to it. A lovely finish with a top note of tea leaf. Great potential. August 2016
https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/wine-rev...
Raymond Chan – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews - FIVE STARS
Bright, even dark ruby-red colour with slight youthful purple hues, lighter on the rim. The nose is tightly bound, intense and penetrating with aromas of dark-red berry and cherry fruit with notes of raspberry liqueur interwoven with thyme herbs and dark red florals. The fruit is expressed with clarity and beautiful purity. Medium-full bodied, sweetly juicy and luscious flavours of dark-red cherry and berry fruit are laced with thyme herbs and form an elegantly concentrated core, revealing red floral nuances. The palate is very fine-textured with supple tannin extraction supporting the fruit and fresh acidity lifting the fruit fragrance and enlivening the mouthfeel. The fruit clarity, vibrancy and purity are the features, and the flavours carry with richness and vitality to a long and sustained finish. This is a rich, vibrant, dark red cherry and berry fruited Pinot Noir with lovely clarity on a fine-grained, supple palate. Match with poultry and pork dishes over the next 5-6 years. Clones 667, 777, 115, Abel. 5 and 114, from vines planted in 2003, the fruit destemmed and fermented with 12% by indigenous yeasts to 13.4% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 26% new French oak barriques. 18.5+/20 Nov 2016 [Note: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz provides a service by publishing independent, assessment-based, critical reviews. His fee is $33+gst per wine]
GOLD – International Wine Challenge 2016 (London)
GOLD - Sydney International Wine Competition
5 STARS - Michael Cooper's NZ Wine Buyer's Guide 2016
5 STARS - Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review
SILVER – Decanter World Wine Awards 2016
SILVER – Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
SILVER – Royal Easter Show Wine Awards
Reviews
Michael Cooper – Michael Cooper's Wine Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines - FIVE STARS
The more robust and concentrated 2014 (5 stars) was matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (26 per cent new.) Deeply coloured, it is a powerful, savoury wine with deep, ripe plum, spice and dried herb flavours, moderately firm tannins, and obvious potential; open 2017+.http://michaelcooper.co.nz/wine_review/grasshopper...
Bob Campbell MW – The Real Review - 95/100 - FIVE STARS
Delicately scented pinot noir with appealing cherry, spice and mineral flavours. Light to medium-bodied but not lacking in power, as evidenced by the wine's lengthy finish. Quite Burgundian in style but with a strong Alexandra signature. Class wine at a competitive price. May 2016. http://www.therealreview.com/2016/05/28/grasshoppe...
The Wine Advocate #224 –Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW - 91/100
Pale to medium-ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir has a lovely nose of kirsch, violets and lavender with some gentle herb and garrigue nuances in the background. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully fine and elegant with a seamless backbone of fine tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. April 2016
Burghound – Allen Meadows - 89 pts
A discreet but not invisible touch of wood sets off the high-toned and agreeably fresh nose of cranberry, raspberry and cherry scents. The light weight (though not dilute), supple and lilting flavors possess good delineation before terminating in a clean, focused and intense finish that packs excellent flavor authority into its lighter weight frame. This isn't particularly complex and it's on the fruitier side yet I very much like the delivery. Note that my rating offers the benefit of the doubt that more depth will arrive with a few years of bottle age. 89/2020+
Decanter – Cameron Douglas MS 92/100
Complex with a core of mineral, ripe fruit and judicious oak. Sweet spices and toasty. Fleshy, lush and vibrant, firm tannins, backbone of acidity, dried herb, red beet, textured. Drink 2016-2022. - Decanter, December 2015
International Wine Challenge 2016 – GOLD
Mid-cherry hue, muscular varietal character, with silky stylish ripe raspberries. Good acidity and balance with a lingering finish. May 2016
Decanter World Wine Awards 2016 - SILVER
91/100. Quite a classy PN - fairly closed at this stage but with structure and showing redcurrant jelly, dried cranberry, red cherry, violet and spice/anise flavours. A moderately oaky crowd pleaser that has some cellaring potential. May 2016
Decanter – tasting panel – 88 points, Recommended
Enticing floral aromas and flavours with notes of sage and parsely, making for an appealing sweet 'n' sour nuance, along with a pure mineral core. September 2016
Joelle Thomson – Drinksbiz
Winemaking doesn't get much edgier than Alexandra, the most eastern and southern of all Central Otago's cool climate wine producing areas. The lovely Grasshopper Rock Earnscleugh Vineyard Pinot Noir is a direct expression on this sub region, with its high acidity being the refreshing hallmark of this super fresh, pale ruby coloured Pinot with its bright red cherry flavours and upfront juicy acidity adding bite and crunch. It drinks well now and will age beautifully too. August 2016
Otago Daily Times – Mark Henderson. – Rating: Excellent
Dark fruits and raspberry here with a beguiling perfume. The palate brings in the cherry notes and an appealing savoury undercurrent; rhubarb with time. Rich, rounded, supple, yet with delicacy and freshness. Some firmness at first, which softens: this wine has an element of mystery to it. A lovely finish with a top note of tea leaf. Great potential. August 2016
https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/wine-rev...
Raymond Chan – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews - FIVE STARS
Bright, even dark ruby-red colour with slight youthful purple hues, lighter on the rim. The nose is tightly bound, intense and penetrating with aromas of dark-red berry and cherry fruit with notes of raspberry liqueur interwoven with thyme herbs and dark red florals. The fruit is expressed with clarity and beautiful purity. Medium-full bodied, sweetly juicy and luscious flavours of dark-red cherry and berry fruit are laced with thyme herbs and form an elegantly concentrated core, revealing red floral nuances. The palate is very fine-textured with supple tannin extraction supporting the fruit and fresh acidity lifting the fruit fragrance and enlivening the mouthfeel. The fruit clarity, vibrancy and purity are the features, and the flavours carry with richness and vitality to a long and sustained finish. This is a rich, vibrant, dark red cherry and berry fruited Pinot Noir with lovely clarity on a fine-grained, supple palate. Match with poultry and pork dishes over the next 5-6 years. Clones 667, 777, 115, Abel. 5 and 114, from vines planted in 2003, the fruit destemmed and fermented with 12% by indigenous yeasts to 13.4% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 26% new French oak barriques. 18.5+/20 Nov 2016 [Note: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz provides a service by publishing independent, assessment-based, critical reviews. His fee is $33+gst per wine]