"The dense mid-palate retains a sense of transparency in the mouth. There are red cherry aromas, florals, mushroom nuances and subtle baking spices waiting to blossom within the dense core. The abundant acidity makes your mouth water like a flowing stream. The fine chalky tannins in combination with the acidity provide a line of tension on the finish. This is an assured and unadulterated organically grown Pinot, hailing from 20-year-old vines planted on sandstone and fractured clay, and unfined, unfiltered and only encountering sulfur at bottling."

94 points, Rebecca Gibb MW

Vineyard:

The Damsteep Vineyard is located in the north east of Waipara Valley at the foot of the Omihi Saddle in North Canterbury.

Black Estate Damsteep Pinot Noir is grown on a 5.5 hectare vineyard with 9 different parcels of various north-east, north, and north- west facing slopes, with an altitude between 140 to 180 meters above sea level.

The vines here were planted in 1999 and grow on clay overlying fractured limestone and sandstone soils.

Organic and biodynamic farming practices have been used since 2012.

The Damsteep Vineyard will be fully certified organic with BioGro in March 2017.