Brand new to the U.S. is Mount Edward, imported by Jug Shop wine buyer, Chuck Hayward. "For Alan Brady, Mount Edward is the culmination of many years of devoted work helping to shape the destiny of the Central Otago growing region. As the first person to plant grapes in the Gibbston Valley subregion of Central Otago in 1981, Alan is rightly called “The Godfather” by many of the young, new winemakers who are now contributing to Central’s explosion as a wine region.

The 2003 Mount Edward pinot noir is a classic Central Otago styled wine. From a cool year, the wine initially shows some definite acidity. But after a few minutes in the glass, the wine’s fruit concentration emerges to reveal dark cherry flavors with a bit of dusty structure. Alan prefers elegance over power and this vintage clearly shows his philosophy in the bottle. For the 2003, grapes were sourced from three sites in the cooler Gibbston Valley with small amounts from a warmer site near Alexandra. Mount Edward pinots emphasize fruit, not oak. Quantities produced are quite small, the 2003 harvest yielding 940 cases, 25 of which have been allocated to the American market." Chuck Hayward, The Jug Shop

Acclaim for Mount Edward Pinot Noir:

"Complex, spicy nose, leading into a powerful palate with ripe fruit characters and real depth and structure. Among the stand out 2003 Pinot Noirs" Michael Cooper Cuisine November 2004.

"How good are these Pinot Noirs?, Damm good….Compelling Pinot Noir is a matter of layered dimensionality, where you don't discover everything about a wine in one sip. Happily wineries such as Mount Edward.. deliver such multidimensional goods" Matt Kramer Wine Spectator April 2005.