Kim Crawford, Small Parcels Rise and Shine, Pinot Noir – Superb!

I’ve raved about Kim Crawford wines from New Zealand in the past.  The fact is, I have yet to taste a wine from Kim Crawford that I don’t love.  Although they’ve only been around for about two decades, they know their stuff.  They only make a few varieties of wine, and they make them really well.

My love for Kim Crawford wines is rooted in their sauvignon blanc, which is just amazing.  But I’ve also previously reviewed their entry-level pinot noir, which is also quite tasty.

Like many wine producers, they have a couple different tiers of product that they produce.  This pinot noir comes from their “Small Parcels” line, which are single vineyard wines produced in smaller batches than their entry-level wines.  The vineyards for these wines are selected for producing higher quality product, which also means it’s a more expensive product.  The price for this wine does come in higher than our $20 target price and is almost double the price of their basic pinot noir, but it is quite good.

The nose of this wine is balanced, harmonious and elegant with supple cherry, blackberry, vanilla and violet aromatics.  The aromatics are moderate in intensity, but absolutely delightful.  It is also quite spectacular on the palate, where it offers rich blackberry, plum, strawberry and beet flavors.  It has a vibrant and full mouthfeel that adds to the awesomeness of this wine.  This is the kind of wine that makes me wish I could spend more on my wine all the time.  It is superb!

Wine: Kim Crawford, Small Parcels Rise and Shine
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 92
Price: $33.00 

Find Kim Crawford, Small Parcels Rise and Shine, Pinot Noir with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.