Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir 2020 - Marlborough, New Zealand

94/100 CamDouglas MS
92/100 Angus Hughson
90/100 Bob Campbell
Bronze - QWine
Bronze - New Zealand Wine Rater
93/100 Bob Campbell (2019 vintage)
89/100 Decanter World wine Awards (2019 vintage)
87/100 Robert Parker (2018 vintage)
87/100 Decanter World Wine Awards (2017 vintage)
90/100 The Winefront (2016 vintage)
89/100 Wine Enthusiast (2016 vintage)
89/100 Wine Spectator (2016 vintage)
88/100 Wine Enthusiast (2015 vintage)
86/100 Bob Campbell (2015 vintage)
86/100 James Suckling (2015 vintage)
85/100 Wine Spectator (2015 vintage)
85/100 Robert Parker (2015 vintage)
87/100 Falstaff (2012 vintage)

5 Stars - Wine Square
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards
Bronze - National Wine Awards of Aotearoa 2022
Bronze - Marlborough Wine Show 2021
Silver - London Wine Competition (2019 vintage)
Bronze - International Wine challenge (2019 vintage)
Commended - International Wine Challenge (2017 vintage)
Silver, Silver 91 Pts - International Wine Challenge (2016 vintage)
Bronze - International Wine Challenge (2016 vintage)
Bronze - International Wine & Spirits Competition (2016 vintage)
Bronze - Hong Kong IWSC (2016 vintage)
Silver - International Wine Challenge (2015 vintage)
Silver - New Zealand Wine of the Year (2015 vintage)
Silver - International Wine Challenge (2014 vintage)

Matt Ward "Baking spices, blueberry and cassis, reveal lifted red fruits and cinnamon, wrapped up in toasty oak. The palate is medium bodied with juicy red cherries, soft acid and fine chalk tannins.

CamDouglas MS "Youthful, varietal, a core of fruit, dark roses and a plush enticing complexity. Equally enticing on the palate with a core of dark red berry fruit flavours - black currant, dark cherry, some plum then toasty barrel spices of clove, vanilla and a touch of cedarwood. Firm tannins and plenty of acidity provide the foundation for ageing and fruit to rest upon. Lengthy finish and a wine that is very youthful and needs cellar time."

Angus Hughson "perfumed aromas and sweet red fruits with a dark, earthy underbelly. Mid to deep cherry in colour, fruits are fleshy and generous. Cherry compote, damp earth and spice with toasty oak in play. The palate is then juicy and savoury – meaty, ground spice flavours over a bed of dark cherry fruits. It’s on the oaky side for pinot noir so best matched up with flavoursome dishes such as coq au vin. "

Bob Campbell "Bright, fresh pinot noir with floral, rose petal, cherry and subtle spice flavours. An appealing, easy-to-drink wine, with an ethereal texture and vibrant flavours. Simple and distinctive. Good varietal definition."

QWine "Dark cherry, blackcurrants, mushrooms, even a hint of truffle get things on the move. A drying Pinot but there's a lighter side to it. Easy drinking, you'd kick back with this riverside watching the worries of the world float by. "

New Zealand Wine Rater "A subtle bouquet with herbal, minty, meaty aroma s, showing sulphides. Dark fruit conserve, bramble, gummy bears, and blueberry notes. A medium-full bodied wine with a fruity, generous mid-palate, and plenty of acidity."

Bob Campbell "Gently seductive pinot noir with cherry, plum and other red fruit flavours together with violet, floral, fresh herb and mixed spice characters. Smooth-textured with a backbone of very fine tannins." (2019 vintage)

Robert Parker "Subtle cedar notes join raspberries and strawberries on the nose of the 2018 Pinot Noir. On the palate, it's a bit light and lacking texture, but it's pretty, those attractive berry shadings lingering on the tart, crisp finish." (2018 vintage)

Wine Experience "Elegant and silken with wild, dark berry flavours and gentle dried herb notes. Medium-bodied, the palate is structured and graceful with plush fruit and exceptional fruit and tannin integration which lingers in the mouth." (2016 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "This is a likable, easygoing Pinot that's fruity but not syrupy. It leads with a bowl of berries—strawberries, raspberries and cranberries—and is quickly followed by notes of baking spice, cracked pepper and violet. It's medium bodied but on the lighter end, with lifted acidity and smooth, stalky tannins. Drink now. Christina Pickard" (2016 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Smooth and creamy vanilla-scented strawberry and pomegranate flavors are lush and spicy in this red, with details of sage and matcha. Harmonious on the finish. Drink now. 2,500 cases made, 200 cases imported. — MW" (2016 vintage)

The Winefront "Pretty perfume shows red cherry, raspberry jam, some plummy notes. Fruity as... bright and easy to drink..." (2016 vintage)

James Suckling "This has a wealth of violets on the nose, and there's a dry earthy edge. The palate has elemental shape and red-fruit flavors. Drink now." (2015 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Although it starts on the oaky side, the ripe red fruit, olive and baking spice notes soon come into play. The palate integrates silky tannins with plush fruit, making this a straightforward example of Marlborough Pinot Noir." (2015 vintage)

Wine Spectator "There's a floral overtone and plenty of fresh green herbal notes to the tangy cherry flavors, with fresh green notes and tannins that firm up on the finish. Drink now. 3,000 cases made, 112 cases imported. — MW" (2015 vintage)

Robert Parker "Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir gives a good intensity of ripe red cherry and red currant notes with a waft of underbrush. The medium-bodied palate delivers a great burst of uncomplicated red berry flavors with a soft structure and good persistence." (2015 vintage)

Falstaff "Medium crimson garnet, violet reflections, wider ocher rim. Red berries underlaid with tender tangerine zest, subtle herbal spices, restrained bouquet. Light-bodied, sweet strawberry confit, delicate tannins, elegant acidity, red berry finish, somewhat melting, stays short" (2012 vintage)

Marlborough based award-winning winery, Catalina Sounds is known for wines which harness the purity and vibrancy of Marlborough’s climate and landscape. The name Catalina Sounds evolved from the majestic Catalina flying boats that played a vital role across the South Pacific during and after World War II.

Marlborough is by far New Zealand's most important wine region. Situated at the north-eastern tip of the South Island, this dry, sunny region produces around three-quarters of all New Zealand wine. It is particularly famous for its pungent, zesty Sauvignon Blanc - widely considered by critics to be the best Sauvignon currently produced anywhere on the planet. Commercial-scale viticulture began in Marlborough the 1970s – it conquered the world within 25 years!

Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.

The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.