2022 Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir

96 POINTS

Emma Jenkins MW - Decanter

This has a powerful nose, a little reductive and smoky, with exotic spices and dark fruits – black cherry, five spice, dark cocoa, earth and bay leaf, orange peel – and red fruited highlights. A sweet-fruited supple core, very plush and velvety, and quite four-square structured tannins. Very long and layered, plenty of harmony and confidence. The two flagship Pyramid Valley wines provide such a contrasting pair, it’s hard to believe the closeness of the blocks on this tiny biodynamically-farmed vineyard. Earth Smoke is the 0.8ha east-facing block, on limestone-clay (and a name for the herbaceous poppy Fumaria).

96 POINTS

Dave Brookes - Halliday Wine Companion

Sourced from a 0.8ha block of biodynamically farmed pinot noir on the Pyramid Valley Waikari estate. A beautiful, complex-smelling wine with brooding dark plum and cherry fruits, cut with spice, blood orange, amaro herbs, raked leaves, pressed wildflowers, twiggy nuance and crushed stone. So calm and composed on the palate with a sapid calcareous cadence, fine, chalky tannin grip and a long, gamey retreat.

95 POINTS

Rebecca Gibb MW - Vinous

Having made no Earth Smoke in 2021 due to spring frosts and cool flowering ravaging the yield, it's a welcome return in 2022. Translucent, pure and delicately textured, this Pinot Noir shows a fine hand and the confidence to be hands off. The wine is calm; in the mouth, it gives the impression that a hush has descended. It is attractively scented - full of dried herbs, cherry, festive spice, violets and a hint of smoke. There's plentiful concentration without weight. The tannins are pliant, providing the finest coating for your palate. Perhaps not as long as it could be, but I'm really nitpicking here.

95 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

This is the best suite of wines from the new custodianship of PV. The wines feel more ‘Huw Kinch’ alongside the distinct personality of the site(s); the wines more relaxed, expressive, and though that’s partly the season, the savoury and cooler, finer boned and loose knit jazz of the wines is really good and really appealing from 2022. A crispness, a pulse of tart cherry, a crunch of cranberry, some nougat licks and woody spice with sappy pomegranate juice, a touch of hazelnut paste with bergamot tea, sage leaf and dried rosemary amongst the mix of characters here. It’s got volume of intense, granitic minerality and a grumbling swish of pumice-like, almost Italianate texture to tannins amongst the vibrancy of fruit character.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

A fascinating combination of smoke, matchstick, caramel and dried strawberries on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with fine tannins that stretch the length of the wine. Juicy and savory. Delicious and tense. Drink after 2027 but already so beautiful.

95 POINTS

Christina Pickard - Wine Enthusiast

Just as the name implies, Earth Smoke consistently shows both these characters in spades. Like a forrest floor on a cool autumn day, it evokes damp leaves, wild mushrooms, earthy dried herbs, florals and spices and a smoked meat nuance. Somewhere in the mix lurks fruit notes reminiscent of cherry cordial. Gentle in every way, everything—including tannins—are so neatly woven together as to be almost imperceptible. A sum-of-its-parts wine rather than one to dissect.

92 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2022 Earth Smoke Pinot Noir is gently reductive and a little gamey on the nose, with roasted beets, tarragon, dried mint and star anise/fennel. In the mouth, the wine makes quiet and impact, and it lands with cherry and goji berry, allspice and crushed rocks/cold tea. It's attractive, shapely and very fine. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.