Mumm Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021: review

Written By Campbell Mattinson

Mumm has released a Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021.

The Champagne house Mumm – operating here under the name Mumm Central Otago – has released an AU $80 pinot noir from New Zealand’s most famous pinot noir region. It’s 14.5% alcohol, was matured in 50% new French oak, and comes in a hefty/heavy bottle. It’s a complex wine, well-framed by tannin, with undergrowth and cherry-berry flavours sitting pretty on the palate. Cedarwood oak is a bit too heavy-handed for my liking and the finish isn’t overly persistent, but it’s a decent representation of what Central Otago does with pinot noir. It’s a good drink. That said, roughly half the asking price is, arguably, a case of ‘paying for the name’. If you wanted me to put a score on this I’d be in the vicinity of 91-92/100.

Campbell Mattinson

This article was written by Campbell Mattinson, founder of The Winefront and mattinson, and former chief editor of Halliday.

When you pick up a wine book and see thousands of top-scoring wines, it’s hard to know which wine to choose. Mattinson guides you through this maze, giving you an honest view of the best Australian wines, the best wine stories, the best wine producers, the best value wines and simply, the best tasting wines. Importantly, Mattinson will tell you about the top-rated wines and also about the underrated wines. In short, Mattinson knows Australian wines inside and out.

Mattinson has been a photo-journalist since 1987. For the past 25 years he’s been a voice that you can trust when you’re looking for the best wines. He’s the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He’s a past winner of a Louis Roederer International Wine Media Award, and is the author of the award-winning book The Wine Hunter. He’s not afraid to put a score beside a wine. But what he’d rather do, is tell you the wine’s story.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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