"Deep red. Slightly reduced on the nose; opened with air to show perfumed, Chambolle-like cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry, minerals, smoke and mint. Tangy, rich and deep, with vibrant acids giving the red fruit and mineral flavors a sappy quality. Offers a rare combination of generosity of texture and grip. Winemakers Matthew Donaldson and Lynnette Hudson predict this will be at its best in about five years. (I also tasted a sample of the limited 2003 Pinot Noir Prima Donna just before bottling. This very dense, structured, wild pinot showed rare power for this variety in New Zealand; a deeply sappy black fruit character; and a whiplash of a finish. It offered 90-92 potential.)"  90 pts, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 05.

"The wine is a bright ruby colour with carmine hues. It has multi-faceted aromas and flavours, suggestive of ripe red berry fruits and black cherries and plums. There is an additional savoury element with impressions of mushrooms, grilled meats and game. It is generously mouth-filling and rich, but yet retains all the elegance and finesse associated with this grape variety. The ripe tannins are supple and velvety adding palatal length to the lingering after-taste.

While ready to drink on release it is expected that with careful cellaring this wine will develop increasing complexity and continue to improve for five to seven years and live for one or two decades." Winemaker's tasting note.