Mumm Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021: review

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, former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion book, former editor of Halliday magazine, former editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine and founder of the highly respected The Winefront site.

Mattinson has been an independent wine critic and photo-journalist since 1987. 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; is the author of the award-winning book The Wine Hunter; and is the author of the best-selling novel We Were Not Men. He’s also a winner of a St Kilda Film Festival Award (as writer-director) and is a former winner of the prized Best Australian Sports Writing Award.

Mattinson, who is 100% independent, puts a score out of 100 on every wine that he reviews. But what he’d rather do, is tell you the wine’s story.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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