2015 Rippon Vineyard Mature Vine Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 750 ml

An Experiment Gone Terribly Right

On Rippon wines, we have to agree with Decanter: “All of Otago's wilderness is distilled here in a serene, delicious and utterly harmonious beauty.” The storied publication went on to describe this Mature Vines Pinot “a paradigm of balance, of seamlessness, of elegance,” and we couldn’t agree more.

The dual 96-point 2015 Mature Vines Pinot Noir, which looks down over Lake Wanaka from one of the most postcard-worthy views in the world, is exactly that: harmonious. It’s not what founder and third generation farmer Rolfe Mills expected when he planted an experimental vineyard with 26 grape varieties in 1975...it’s so much better.

From New Zealand’s most extreme climate, divided by the snow-capped Southern Alps and moderated by the picturesque Lake Wanaka, Rippon’s biodynamic vines provide a worthy competitor to Burgundy, perhaps in part because their winemaker trained at the Holy Grail of Pinot Noir, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The 2015 Mature Vines drew us in with its intriguing, savory aromas of leather, herbs, and freshly turned earth. Over time, and with a few swirls in the glass, the savory notes unfold to reveal irresistible aromas and flavors of strawberry, red cherry, and red currant all atop satin texture, buttressed by firm tannins that inspire sip after sip.

Grown atop schist soils of Central Otago—the region that’s simultaneously the hottest, coldest, and driest in New Zealand—the terroir isn’t the only extreme element that makes this wine so irresistible. Winemaker Nick Mills is a world-class competitive skier who brought all the drive and determination of an Olympic hopeful to Rippon’s winemaking. After spending five years in Burgundy at Domaine de la Romanee Conti and Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron, Nick returned home to the farm to steward the vines that have become the gold standard for the region, and the benchmark for up-and-coming Pinot Noir producers worldwide.

Today, Rippon’s signature release from the New Zealand standard-bearer is an exquisite savings on a wine that’s driving critics and wine lovers wild. James Suckling praised Rippon’s 2015 for its “deeply spicy array of mixed fruit, framed in aromas of flint, dark stones, pepper, woody spices, wild herbs and fresh earth,” before giving it another 96 point score. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate chimed in too, adding that the ‘15 “shines in the mouth.”

Thirty years after Rolfe Mills’ “experiment,” Rippon’s efforts stand alone, a world-class Pinot Noir floating above a sea of Sauvignon Blanc. The Rippon vineyards are farmed completely without irrigation and under biodynamic principles, a feature Nick Mills believes elevates the wine’s incredible minerality and influence of the site’s unique schist soils. The 2015 Mature Vines blends select old vines from across the estate in a snapshot of the vintage, which in 2015 showcases a balanced, beautiful, and thoroughly age-worthy Pinot Noir.

For anyone who considers themselves a Pinot-phile (and actually, everyone else too) your wine cellar isn’t complete without a bottle or three of Rippon. The calm, quiet estate represents the pinnacle of the Southern Hemisphere’s vinous achievements, with energy and structure to spare. This is one bottle you just have to experience, and like all the world’s best wines there isn’t much to go around.