Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir 2013

Gwen Barton rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Light garnet coloured with aromas of plum, red cherries and some mushroom and vegetal notes. Lovely tastes of chocolate, red fruit and soft spice. In typical New Zealand fashion, enjoy with lamb...but can easily sip this one on its own!

Jon Steeves rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

This wine offers tart field berry, dark cherry, blueberry, baking spices on the nose and palate. This is a gamey Pinot Noir, with a tart and mouthwatering mouthfeel. Enjoyed wonderfully paired with black cod with miso and leek sauce. Would also pair exceptionally well with butterflied leg of lamb. Tasted Nov 2016 - bespoketastings.ca

Mary Anne van Gaal rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

2013 is recognized as a great year for Pinot Noir's in the Marlborough region of NZ. This ruby red wine has matured into one with gamey notes and hints of the forest floor.
Aromas of ripe berries followed by mild spiciness and light oak. This wine paired beautifully with Sidedoors Black Cod with miso sake glaze and spiced dashi.

Sylvain Segard rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Medium to dark ruby colour with a watery rim. Dominant aromas of red berries, especially boysenberries and strawberries and some dark cherries. The ripe cherries follow through distinctly in the mouth, where secondary flavour of forest floor and game meats have begun to express themselves. Pair with game or mushroom dishes. Drink now or keep for another 3-5 years. Tasted in Nov. 2016.

Camelia Bucur rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Medium ruby color, aromas of dark cherries with oaky and spicy notes (french oak barrels). Smooth, good acidity and soft tannins. Drink it on its own or with seafood and light meat dishes.

Melanie Aubert rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

This is a lovely, complex wine that is perfect for pairing for all sorts of food. Lighter in colour, it shows dark cherry and boisenberry on the note which follow on the palate, as well as more old world characteristics like earthiness, gaminess, mushroom and forest floor. Medium acidity and well-integrated tannins at this point. Went remarkably well with Sidedoor's black cod with miso sake glaze. The old world characteristics matched the salty and umami flavours of the cod and the glaze, which in turn brought out the more fruit-forward character of the wines. A delightful pairing!

David Skinner rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Light ruby red. Slightly muted nose with red currant and some spicy notes. On the palate the wine give up some other secrets. To the red fruit flavours, the taste is accented by herbal notes like cut tomato stems. Soft tannins and a medium finish. The time to drink this is now and it shows well with food like grilled tuna, pheasant and other game birds.

Pamela Chiles rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Fresh and floral; bright cherry red in colour and on the nose and palate with a little undercurrent of gameiness to play with your senses. Take this one to the cottage, grill up some salmon, sit back and enjoy the sunset! Aug, 2015
What fun to see how the 2013 has evolved over a year! It is a little darker in colour, deep ruby, and the flavours have equally evolved and "darkened" somewhat - black cherry, dried cranberry, with a hint of rich, earthy mushroom; the structure has come together with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel and barely-there silky tannins and soft acidity. Wonderful sipper. Nov. 2016

Sean O'Regan rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Medium ruby, with nose of raspberry, floral notes, pepper/clove spice.
Med body, good acidity and tannin balance, cherry, raspberry, spice and a medium long warming finish. Reminds me of BC Pinot. Very versatile, pair with glazed ham or cedar planked salmon. Tasted at Nobilo winemaker lunch August 2015.

rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

Enticing aromas of berries, cherries, white pepper, forest floor and mocha, this two year old Pinot Noir is more fruit forward than the 2010 vintage and a perfect match for the roasted lamb. It has a light body, low tannins and sufficient acidity to complement the herbs and spices on the lamb. The intense fruit flavours were achieved by harvesting and de-stemming the grapes without crushing, thus leaving some whole berries in the ferment. the result is a wine that will easily pair with many meat, poultry and vegetarian dishes (such as eggplant and portobello dishes).

Mymi Thesingingsommelier rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

In 1936, Nikola and Zuva Nobilo moved to New Zealand from Croatia to escape the impending war. They left everything behind except a few important things, one of them was a 300 year old winemaking tradition.
They faced many hurdles trying to put these years of experience to work, mainly because there was no wine culture in New Zealand at the time, add to that was the lack of equipment needed to set up a vineyard. Undeterred, Nikola persevered, built his own tools and in 1943, the couple planted some of the first commercial vines in Huapai, west of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island.
By the 1970s, Nikola had established himself as a successful winemaker who also helped transform New Zealand’s wine industry by shifting from hybrid grapes to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
To this day, Nobilo continues to craft delicious wines of distinct regional character from their many vineyards in Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne.
The fruit for this flagship Icon wine was sourced from Nobilo’s 3 finest estate vineyards in Marlborough.
In the glass, it is a lightly pigmented cherry red color with blue hues.
On the nose, it seemed a little subdued at first but opened to reveal juicy ripe red plum, toasted oak, rich dark chocolate and freshly grounded spicy masala spice blend.
Sultry, rich and expansive on the palate… Sensual even. Dark cacao meets loads of ripe dark berry fruit. Dry with soft tannins, fresh acidity, lovely oak and a long lasting spicy finish.
You could easily pair this wine with any grilled lamb recipe but I would rather enjoy it all by itself… It’s that yummy!

Philippe Perreault rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

Clear garnet color with a powerful nose of violet, eucalyptuse, cherry, blackberry and spice.

The wine is lively, smooth, balanced and complex.

Excellent to match pork tenderloin.

Serve it at 15-16 degrees.

Ready to drink but can be aged 2-3 years.

Tom Vigeant rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Freshly picked cherries, earthy and soft spice notes on the nose, also resonate on the palate along with a touch of oak. Light to medium bodied. Pleasant pinot.

Astrid Young rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Lifted florals and violet on the nose, with brambly and cedar notes. Soft on the mid with plenty of red bush vine fruit. Smoky notes and oh so subtle oak nuances of vanilla and toast. excellent balance, finishes medium with a solid berry fruit profile through to the end. Grilled duck, cold foie gras terrine, peppercorn pate, roast turkey.

Olivier de Maisonneuve rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

A nice nose of budding shrubbery,with hints of violet. Soft palate, quite fruity but not sweet. Good fresh finale. Hints of dill makes it a great food companion,like chicken skewers. Good by itself, while you cook.

Lynn van der Linde rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

An upbeat and delightful Pinot Noir from Marlborough. Tart cherries and vanilla greet you with a slight earthiness on the palate. Good acidity and persistent fruit make this very versatile with many dishes - a great wine for a mixture of appetizers to kick off an evening.

Heather Wall rated this wine as 87/100 with the following review:

Light-bodied with bright acidity. Aromas and flavours of sour cherry, pepper, vanilla, toast , oak and a hint of vegetal at the back end on the palate. The length is good with a cherry vanilla finish. Winemaker suggests perfect match rack of lamb. Can be cellared up to 5 years.
Tasted: April 12, 2015

Jane Staples rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

An elegant nose with tart red fruit, vanilla, earth and spice. Juicy cherry, vanilla, spice, mushroom, mocha and milk chocolate on the delightful palate. Medium-bodied, silky tannis, tight acidity and a long wonderful finish giving chocolate and tart cherry. Aged in 100% French oak. Marlborough Pinot Noirs show consistent high quality.

Rachelle O'Connor rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

A wonderful Pinot Noir from Marlborough displaying a beautiful bouquet of fully ripe cherries, plum and spice. On the palate there is notable blackberries, cherries and plums, cigar box and burnt oak. This wine displays its complex layers beautifully, with a long spicy finish. Nicely matched with a wild mushroom dish or quite enjoyable on its own.

Lori Kilmartin WSET3 rated this wine as 87/100 with the following review:

Cherry, strawberry and some spicy notes. This medium body Pinot is soft and supple with lots of fruit and a good balance of tannins and acidity.

Jennifer Havers rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

A lovely light bodied Pinot Noir that shows at first some earthy notes, but quickly opens up to show aromas of spice, pepper, dill, strawberry and cherry. Berry flavours are more prominent on the palate, followed by some spicy oak. Light with a nice balance of fruit and earthy notes. Try this with lamb or mushroom dishes but would also be great on its own. Update: Tried again in November 2016 - this time I got less of the dill notes, but more of that earthy note, combined with nice red fruit, Still delicious, and was very well paired with black cod served with a miso glaze.

Shelley Harris rated this wine as 87/100 with the following review:

Aromas of pepper, spice and light smoke. Would complement a mildly-spiced creamy Indian Chicken Korma, filled with raisins, almond, and coconut.

Monique Sosa rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

After three years, this New World Pinot is drinking very well! It is still aromatic showing fruit forward and floral aromas. The flavours show clean and concentrated notes of raspberry, cherry, cedar, and hints of smoke. Tannins are mild and balanced with a luscious acidity and a long spiced finish. This Pinot gives me that easy drinking girls night in/movie night sort of feel. Enjoy pairing with mildly spiced pulled beef tacos. Tasted Nov 2016. @sommsosa | bespoketastings.ca

Douglas McMillan rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

Dill, herbs, strawberry, and a little cherry make up the subtle aroma of this pinot. The taste is ripe strawberry with a little of the herb carrying over from the aroma. Finishes with a long tart and spicy ripe strawberry.

Kristin Perrin rated this wine as 83/100 with the following review:

Sweet juicy cherry, pungent herbaciousness nose
Light bodied, medium plus acidity, easy going.

Salmon cakes.

Matt Steeves rated this wine as 89/100 with the following review:

New Zealand produces such lovely Pinot Noir. The Nobilo Icon from Marlborough, displays cherry, tart berry, leather and fresh dill. Black cherry, chocolate, and herbs on the palate. A great wine to enjoy with salmon and fresh dill, along with creamy salads or try spicy butter chicken and see just how versatile this beauty is. Tasted February and August 2015. 89+ points. Matt Steeves - www.quercusvino.ca

Valérie Dufour rated this wine as 88/100 with the following review:

Nice Pinot noir from NZ. Red berries (strawberry) on the nose. Nice acidity. Easy to drink.

Courtney Flood rated this wine as 90/100 with the following review:

Beautiful heady aromas of raspberry and blackberry with overtones of eucalyptus and violet. The wine has fresh acidity but shows some vanilla and spice from some oak aging. Would pair well with slow roasted pork or grilled portobello mushrooms.