Awards & Accolades
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn
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Mt Difficulty Lowburn Valley Packspur Riesling 201795 Points "Single vineyard wine from the oldest vineyard site in Lowburn. It's a rich and moderately weighty wine with grapefruit, lime, apricot and root ginger flavours. A bold, richly-textured riesling." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Rose 201890 Points "Full-flavoured and reasonably deep-tinted rosé with raspberry, fresh herb and cherry flavours. It's a dry, but not austerely dry, wine with a hint of sweetness balanced by tangy acidity. Good food wine." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2017Four and a Half Stars "Grown and hand-picked at Bannockburn, in Central Otago, this freshly scented and mouthfilling wine was made in a basically dry style. Vibrantly fruity, it has strong, pure pear and lychee flavours, a hint of spiciness and excellent delicacy, harmony and depth." |
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Noir 201791 Points "Medium-deep red-purple colour, youthful and fresh, as it is also on the nose. Bright Campari, bitter-herb aromas, with dominant red and black-cherry aromas. The wine is medium bodied and bright on the tongue, with remarkable depth of flavour for the money and plenty of soft, fine tannin. There is a lovely core of sweet fruit, too."
Four Stars - North & South Magazine "From Mt Difficulty, the latest release of this highly popular red was hand-picked and matured for nine months in French oak casks. Full, bright ruby, it is fragrant, fresh and sweet-fruited, with strong cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and gentle tannins. Showing good concentration, it is a top vintage of this label." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Target Riesling 2017Gold |
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Riesling 2017New World Wine Awards 93 Points - Silver |
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Mt Difficulty Bendigo Ghost Town Syrah 20165 Stars - Cuisine Magazine "Central Otago syrahs are not a common breed, and wines like this make you wonder why. Lifted florals (violets) and spice scents lead through to an energetic mouthful where the dark fruit is as pure as a tree-ripened plum. The tannins are fine and a little assertive, but the overall complexity and verve are compelling. Try it with Moroccan spiced lamb."
4 Stars - 90 Points "In 2017 there were just 3.2 ha of syrah in Central Otago. This dense red from the relatively warm subregion of Bendigo shows liquorice, tar, dark berry, pepper, violet, tobacco and a suggestion of dried herb flavours. It's an heroic wine in a firmly-structured and slightly jammy style."
Excellent to Outstanding - Mark Hendersen "Smoky, savoury nose, a sweetly floral aspect rises, adding berry compote. Richness to the meaty/savoury nuanced palate that adds tilled earth and spice; the powerfully sweet dark fruits moving into the blackberry and raspberry spectrum, a little blueberry backdrop too. Lovely depth and fine tannins frame a wine that grows in the glass. Drinking very well now." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Bannockburn Pinot Noir 20155 Stars - Michael Cooper "This outstanding red was hand-picked from vines planted in 1992 and matured for 16 months in French oak barrels. Enticingly perfumed, it is ruby hued, savoury and supple, in a full-bodied style (14% alc/vol) with delicious plum, spice and nut flavours that build to a silky-textured, long, harmonious finish."
95 Points "Made from grapes grown in this Bannockburn vineyard with mostly 23-year-old vines and a small proportion of 20-year-old vines. Light, delicate pinot noir with impressive purity. Red fruits, floral and subtle spice characters. A totally charming pinot noir with potential".
95 Points "Specific and focused bouquet with aromas of wild thyme and red berry fruits, a steely almost haunting minerality against a back-drop of soft and mild toasty oak, quite complex. Dry, youthful firm textures from the tannins and abundant acid line. Flavours of red berries continue with red apple, cranberry and wild red floral notes. Decent length and complexity - a wine that requires decanting and preferably cellar time first. Best from late 2019 through 2027". |
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Mansons Farm Bannockburn Pinot Noir 20154 1/2 Stars - Michael Cooper
"Described on the label as "muscular", the 2015 vintage (4.5*) is from vines planted at Bannockburn in 2000. Barrel-aged for 16 months, it is ruby hued, mouthfilling and firmly structured, with deep, youthful plum, spice, herb and nut flavours, savoury and complex, fresh acidity and obvious cellaring potential. Open 2020+."
96 Points "This is only the second release of this single vineyard wine from one of the older vineyard sites in Bannockburn. A seductively soft and silken pinot noir, with initial fruit sweetness giving way to a pleasantly drying finish. Quite a floral, fragrant wine with hidden depths that bottle age promises to reveal". |
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Mt Difficulty Bendigo Ghost Town Pinot Noir 2016Excellent to Outstanding - Mark Hendersen "An intriguing soy/balsamic note starts the ball rolling, adding perfumed notes and a melange of red fruits. This plays in the sweet and sour spectrum: licorice and black tea-accented, a sweet-cherry-and-plum-driven palate matched by a zingy tang that adds brightness. A feeling of cool mountain stream over stones in the mouth, leading to a delightfully chewy close."
92 Points "Familiar and welcoming scents of Otago Pinot Noir with red and dark cherry fruit, dried raspberry and plum. A layer of dried herb and undergrowth and for this example a clay/rock mineral layer. Dry, fruity and fleshy on the palate with flavours reflective of the nose, plenty of acidity and finer tannins finishing with a layer of wood smoke and spice. Best from mid 2019 through 2024."
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Mt Difficulty Gibbston
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Mt Difficulty Packspur
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Mt Difficulty Lowburn Valley Packspur Chardonnay 201793 Points "Great bouquet of Chardonnay with a flinty, mineral, steely and fruity beginning. Dry on the palate with flavours of white and yellow stone fruits, wood spice, baking spice and cashew. Plenty of acidity adding highlights to a silky texture, soft and creamy oak layer; balanced , lengthy and well-made. A really nice example of cool climate Otago Chardonnay. Best from today and through 2024."
95 Points "Rich, smooth and intense chardonnay with ginger, toasted nut, citrus, white peach and spicy oak flavours. A moderately weighty wine with seductive sweet fruit balanced by gentle, fruity acidity. Very accessible now but with obvious potential." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Sauvignon Blanc 201890 Points "Bright, fresh and tangy sauvignon blanc with citrus, grapefruit, mandarin, chalky, mineral and aromatic fresh herb flavours. Good purity and a refreshingly drying finish. Ready now but no rush."
4 and 1/2 Stars - Michael Cooper, Buyers Guide 2019 "The impressive 2018 vintage (4.5*) is already delicious. Handled solely in tanks, it is a pale lemon/green, mouthfilling wine, fresh and sweet-fruited, with excellent vigour and depth of ripe, tropical fruit flavours, a touch of complexity, and a crisp, fully dry (under 1 gram/litre residual sugar) finish. If you haven't discovered just how good the region's Sauvignon Blancs can be, try this" |
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Bannockburn Chenin Blanc 20175 Stars - Michael Cooper, NZ Listener, Wine Special Feb 2018
"This is a lovely wine – rich, vibrantly fruity and finely poised. Full-bodied (14% alc/vol), it has fresh, intense fruit flavours, hints of spices and honey, a splash of sweetness, mouth-watering acidity and a lasting finish." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Sauvignon Blanc 201792 Points "Moderately weighty and flavoursome sauvignon blanc with rock melon, guava and capsicum flavours. Soft, fruity acidity, with a silken texture and just a hint of sweetness. Impressive purity." |
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Gris 2017Gold - 95 Points
Four Stars - Cuisine Magazine "As its name suggests, this wine does not come and go quietly. It crosses the palate with a hiss and a roar, propelled by a rush of acidity. At its core is some lovely ripe concentrated fruit (stonefruit, citrus) and a touch of sweetness that is a good foil for the acidity. A fresh, lively style."
Very Good to Excellent "Attractive nose of ripe pear and stonefruit with nutty nuances; nice freshness too. The palate unfolds with creaming soda, cooked apple, pear, adding lanolin and spice with aeration. A whisper of sweetness here balanced by zesty acidity. This shows delicious balance, building in weight and texture. A smart little wine and rather moreish." Read more here
90 Points "Aromatic pinot gris with pear, lime zest and delicate floral flavours. Made in a medium-dry style, with subtle sweet-and-sour tension and appealing purity."
New World Wine Awards 90 points - Silver |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Target Riesling 201695 Points "Taut, vibrant riesling with chalk, mineral, lime, grapefruit, citrus and wildflower flavours. Laserlike acidity reacts with subtle sweetness to give the wine an exquisite tension. Wonderful purity and a lingering finish. This is a fine example of a consistently top riesling."
4.5 Stars - Michael Cooper's Buyers Guide 2018 "From Central Otago, the 2016 vintage (4.5*) is an instantly appealing, medium-sweet style (43 grams/litre of residual sugar). Bright, light lemon/green, it is medium-bodied and vibrant, with rich, ripe, peachy, limey flavours, hints of passionfruit, marmalade and honey, and a lovely balance of sweetness and appetising acidity."
Fourth place and Double Gold - Six Nations Wine Challenge 2017
93 Points "Complex and enticing aromatics of Riesling with a blend of lime flower, mandarin, a hint of kerosine, apricot stone and fresh red apple. Immediately off-dry, crisp and refreshing on the palate with a citrus peel, quince and fresh tree fruit flavours. There's tension and bite on the back palate adding length and structure to the core of fruit, abundant acid line. Lengthy finish. Drink now and through 2029." |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Dry Riesling 20164.5 Stars - Michael Cooper's Buyers Guide 2018 "Estate-grown at Bannockburn, the 2016 vintage (4.5*) is one of the best yet. Bright, light lemon/green, it is full-bodied and fleshy, with strong grapefruit, lime and peach flavours, dry but not austere, and a long, harmonious finish. Already drinking well, it should be at its best 2019+." |
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Riesling 2016Award: Silver Score: 90.0 Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2017 Judging Panel – Steve Baraglia, Greer Carland, Alison Eisermann, Trent Mannell, Steffen Schindler, Jim Trezise |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2016Four and a Half Stars - North & South Magazine "[T]his is a vibrant, sturdy, full-bodied wine, attractively scented, with concentrated, ripe, peachy flavours, a vague hint of sweetness, finely balanced acidity, and loads of drink-young appeal." Tasting Panel – Michael Cooper |
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Mt Difficulty Mansons Farm Late Harvest Pinot Gris 2014Very Good to Excellent "Bright, clean and fresh nose with notes of fresh grapes and spiced stonefruits. Suppleness to the texture, subtlety to the flavours adding spiced pear jam and |
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Mt Difficulty Long Gully Noble Riesling 2014Five Stars - Cuisine Magazine "This wine shone out like a beacon. It exhibits gorgeous sweet purity and a structure that shows off the glories of its fruit to perfection. Luscious fruit laced with honey, marmalade, ginger and lavender notes flows creamily to a succulent finish. Fine acidity supplies the necessary definition. Have it with a lovely, soft gorgonzola dolce." Read more. Tasting Panel – John Belsham, Dr Tony Jordan, John Saker |
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Mt Difficulty Long Gully Noble Riesling 2015Five Stars - Cuisine Magazine "Mt Difficulty Scores a five star double with its Long Gully noble riesling. This one is every bit as seductive as the 2014 – rich, clean and succulent. Honey, peach and candied citrus flavours embrace the palate, and the finely honed acidity is perfectly pitched. A beautiful example crafted by the experienced Matt Dicey." Read more. Tasting Panel – John Belsham, Dr Tony Jordan, John Saker |
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series 'Silver Tussock Tinwald Burn' Noble Riesling 2016Four Stars - Cuisine Magazine "2016 provided Mt Difficulty with great conditions for botrytis development, especially in the Silver Tussock vineyard. This expression is tight, crisp and lively, well stocked with honeyed peach and sweet apple flavours, all carried by zingy acidity." Read more. Tasting Panel – John Belsham, Dr Tony Jordan, John Saker |
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Noir 201490 Points - Wine Enthusiast |
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Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Sauvignon Blanc 2015Tasting review from Bob Campbell MW "Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (NZD $25.99) is more austere than the other examples and has a pleasing thread of oyster shell, mineral character that help define its Central Otago origin. I particularly like the wine’s concealed power and restrained tree fruit characters. It’s a perfect match with Bluff oysters served with just a squeeze of lime juice." Read more. |
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Mansons Farm Bannockburn Pinot Noir 201395 Points - Cameron Douglas MS "A classic Mt Difficulty Noir bouquet with dark red berry fruit laced with wild dried herb and bracken undergrowth, dusty clay and crushed rock mineral notes and plenty of oaky moments - overall youthful and quite complex. On the palate - dry, firm, fruity and tense - a youthful wine with firm tannins and plenty of acidity, flavours of darker red berry fruits follow wrapped in some new oak; all this leads to a long yet firm finish; Great potential overall. Drink from 2018 through 2027 - decanting recommended. 95 Points." Read more. |
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Pipeclay Terrace Bannockburn Pinot Noir 201397 Points - Cameron Douglas MS "A delightfully fragrant bouquet loaded with aromas of sweet spring rose, juicy ripe red berry fruits led by raspberry and darker cherry; sweet new oak and soft barrel spices. There's plenty of mineral tones too with a mix of clay and stony rocky suggestions. On the palate - tense, fruity and highly textured with fine dusty/chalky tannins and medium+ acidity; flavours of red berry fruits with raspberry, strawberry compote and cherry-ish notes; the floral layer returns as does a measure of soil; very long finish and totally enjoyable example. Decant for service or cellar then enjoy from 2018 through 2028. 97 Points" Read more. |
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Bannockburn Pinot Noir 201396 Points - Cameron Douglas MS "Complex, ripe and very giving bouquet of site with juicy black cherry, dark rose and soft wild herb, a mix of soil and mineral suggestions then a mix of toasty spicy oak tones; overall very engaging and complex. On the palate - intense, youthful, dry and specific; flavours of wild and ripe red berry fruits laced with some indigenous soft herb and floral moments; plenty of oak; medium+ acidity and tannins with fine textures. A long finish, but a tense and focused one too. Decant for service from 2017 or age longer and serve from 2019 through 2027." Read more. |
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Mt Difficulty Target Gully Vineyard Pinot Noir 201394 Points - Cameron Douglas MS “Distinctive almost powerful bouquet of Pinot Noir with raw energy lead by ripe fruit, abundant minerality, oak and a stinging savoury complexity. The palate is equally full of energy revealing a tense and tightly wound package; dark red berries and plum, spices and a return of savoury elements; fine to moderate tannins and notable acidity all speak to the youth demonstrating cellar time is a must with this example. The finish long though needs 2-3 years in cellar to integrate and show-off its pedigree.” Read more. |
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Gris 201690 Points "Attractively fresh and weighty pinot gris with poached pear, melon and ripe apple flavours. A hint of sweetness is nicely balanced with fresh acidity giving a pleasing tension. A well-made wine in a popular style" |
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Roaring Meg Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015Five Stars - Dish Magazine "The one word that kept cropping up among the judges was ‘precision’. This ultra-clean, ultra-floral style oozes ripe pear, strudel spices, nashi and white peach characters. ‘Gorgeous precision and definition, with lovely white florals and layers of flavour,’ noted Yvonne, while Cameron was wowed by its ‘delicate fruit entry, purity, freshness and nicely textured, solid finish’. This Central Otago stunner boasts subtlety, elegance, and deliciously refreshing presence. Superb." Read more. Tasting Panel – Yvonne Lorkin, Jo Gear, Cameron Douglas MS & Meg Abbott-Walker |
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Mt Difficulty Growers Series Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 201594 Points - Cameron Douglas MS “Mt Difficulty Growers Series Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2015 – Complex, intriguing and inviting bouquet with aromas of peach and oak, cashew and baked lemon; loads of oak spice and hard stone mineral scents. On the palate – equally complex and very tasty with a youthful blend of flavours reflecting the bouquet – peach and cashew, lemon and mineral; fine tannins, medium+ acidity and long finish”
4.5 Stars - Michael Cooper's Buyers Guide 2018
"Still unfolding, the youthful 2015 vintage (4.5*) was hand-picked at two sites at Lowburn, in Central Otago, and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels (17 per cent new). Light lemon/green, it is lemon-scented, with mouthfilling body, strong, vibrant, citrusy flavours, well-integrated oak, good complexity and excellent length. Best drinking mid-2018+."
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Mt Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Bannockburn Chenin Blanc 20165 Stars - Michael Cooper's Buyers Guide 2018 "The lovely 2016 vintage (5*) is rich, vibrant and finely poised. Bright, light lemon/green, it is full-bodied (14 per cent alcohol), with fresh, intense fruit flavours, hints of spices and honey, abundant sweetness (51 grams/litre of residual sugar), mouth-watering acidity and a lasting finish. Full of youthful drive, it's already delicious; drink now or cellar." |
