New trio of Akitu Pinot Noirs
The name Akitu originates from the Sumerian festival Zagmuk and is deeply tied to agricultural cycles. It is also Te Reo Māori for success or summit and that's something Central Otago has plenty of - summits and peaks in its majestic landscape - and great success with its wines.
The Akitu Vineyard is six kilometres from Lake Wānaka waterfront in Central Otago and is home to the Pinot Noir grapes that go into the following trio of wines, which set a high bar for quality, style and distinctiveness.
Here are my thoughts and rankings.
19/20
2024 Akitu Pinot Noir Blanc RRP $42.75
Akitu Pinot Noir Blanc is a white wine with presence and mana; a Pinot Noir with a twist, in both colour and taste. It's made 100% from clone 777 Pinot Noir. Hand picked grapes were harvested in the cool of morning to retain freshness in the finished wine. The grapes were whole bunch pressed to minimise extraction and then fermented, partially in old French oak which builds subtle complexity - think: fresh fresh nutty aromas in lush layers in a medium bodied, dry white wine. The finish is long, commanding and offers wine drinkers a lot to love.
18.5/20
2024 Akitu A1 Pinot Noir RRP $65.55
This Pinot Noir more than lives up to its name, displaying a highly structured style with savoury aromas of dried herbs, black cherry and a firm, long finish following its silky textured mouthfeel. Aromas of wild herbs and red berries intermingle with bright dried cherry fruit and outstanding structural freshness from the delicacy that 40% whole bunch fermentation brings to the wine. Spicy notes from French oak are finely tuned with 20% new oak adding a modest and deft lift to the structure of the wine. Five clones of Pinot Noir were used to make A1 and they are: Abel, 777, 115, Clone 5 and 667.
40% whole bunch, balance whole berry, 20% new French oak
17.5.29
2024 Akitu A2 Pinot Noir RRP $46.55
Delicacy and depth combine in each savoury sip of this sensational Southern Pinot Noir from Akitu, which was made with 35% whole bunch fermentation and an extremely modest 7% new French oak in its maturation process. This keeps the fruit forward softness of Pinot Noir at its prettiest, while allowing its fresh bright structure to offer distinctive freshness to every sip. This wine has complex layers on its mid palate with red fruit, dried berries, a note of spice and dried savoury aromas. This wine is made from six different clones of Pinot Noir.