Overview
Pyramid Valley Snake's Tongue Pinot Noir 2023 is a Central Otago Pinot Noir from the Snake's Tongue parcel at the Lowburn estate in New Zealand.
This Botanical Collection release is made from Abel clone Pinot Noir planted in 2007, combining whole-bunch complexity, wild fermentation and the mineral structure of loess over deep silt soils.
Vintage & Winemaking
A La Niña weather pattern brought a warmer and drier season to Central Otago, resulting in a good flowering and fruit set. Cool nights in March and April helped preserve ripeness without excessive sugar accumulation, allowing the team to pick high-quality fruit at moderate alcohols.
The Snake's Tongue parcel is 0.7ha and was planted in 2007 at the Lowburn estate. Abel clone is grafted to Riparia Gloire rootstock and farmed to BioGro-certified organic standards in its third year of organic conversion. The soils are predominantly loess over deep silts that have developed pedogenic lime deposits.
The fruit was harvested on 15 April 2023. The wine was made with 25% whole bunch, with the remainder gently de-stemmed to maintain a high proportion of whole berries. Fermentation took place using wild yeasts in open-top Nico Velo concrete tulipes for 26 days.
The wine was aged in French barrels for 12 months, 30% new oak, then blended and aged for a further six months in oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Product Highlights
- 96/100 from Halliday Wine Companion
- 94/100 from Rebecca Gibb MW, Red Wine Report
- 93/100 from Falstaff
- Botanical Collection Pinot Noir from Lowburn, Central Otago
- Abel clone from the 0.7ha Snake's Tongue parcel planted in 2007
- Wild yeast fermentation in open-top concrete tulipes
- Unfined and unfiltered
- 643 cases produced
Critic Scores & Reviews
96/100 — Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion · 2023 Vintage · Tasted: 14 January 2026 · Published: 19 January 2026
“Dark cherry and berry fruits with hints of crushed stone, mountain herbs, medina spice, raspberry pip, wildflowers and earth.”
94/100 — Rebecca Gibb MW, Red Wine Report · 2023 Vintage
“The 2023 Pinot Noir Snake's Tongue is a remarkably fragrant wine, with a strong floral burst giving way to raspberries, blackberries, red cherries and mint.”
93/100 — Falstaff · 2023 Vintage · Tasted: Jan 2026
“Aromas of cherries, rose hips, and red berries. Floral notes, hints of mocha, and cocoa.”
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Bright garnet hue.
Aroma
Complex florals, five spice, gamey notes, spiced plums, cherries, cloves and wild thyme.
Palate
Concentrated flavours of mineral, iodine, spiced plums, thyme and game meats. The mouthfeel is plush and silky, with a juicy, evocative structure.
Finish
Savoury and saline, with fine tannins and mineral length.
Food Pairing
Suggested pairings include duck, goose and game birds, lamb samosa, sweet and sour pork, eel with black bean sauce and chicken teriyaki.
Cellaring Potential
This Pinot Noir is already expressive in youth, while its structure and acidity support cellaring over the next decade and beyond.
Recommended drinking window: 2025-2042.
Specifications
- Vintage: 2023
- Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
- Region: Lowburn / Central Otago / New Zealand
- Vineyard / Geo info: Snake's Tongue parcel, 0.7ha, planted in 2007; Abel clone grafted to Riparia Gloire rootstock; loess over deep silts with pedogenic lime deposits
- Harvest date: 15 April 2023
- Fermentation: 25% whole bunch; wild yeast fermentation in open-top Nico Velo concrete tulipes for 26 days
- Maturation: 12 months in French barrels, 30% new oak, then a further six months in oak
- Production Attributes: BioGro-certified organic standards; unfined and unfiltered
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Acidity TA: 5.0 g/L
- Acidity pH: 3.73
- Closure: Diam Origine 10 cork and wax cap
- Production: 643 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles
- Drinking Window: 2025-2042
