Pinot Noir "Rays Road", Kumeu, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, 2020

For the 2020 Kumeu River Rays Road Pinot Noir, Hawke’s Bay, the professional reviews are strong:

• 93 points – Wine Enthusiast: Tart cherry and raspberry with dried flowers, thyme and cardamom; sappy tannins and crisp acidity. Praised for its restraint, layers and distinctive Hawke’s Bay character. Drink through 2028.
• 92 points – James Suckling: Perfumed cherry and fresh strawberry, medium-bodied, tight and polished, with forest-floor notes.
• 92 points – Bob Campbell MW: Listed by Kumeu River among the 2020 vintage's professional reviews.
• 91+ points – Wine Advocate: Black pepper, cherry, balsamic plum, dark chocolate, oyster shell, crushed rock and savory notes; chalky, grippy tannins.
• 16+/20 – Jancis Robinson: Herbal elements, some sweetness, emerging mushroom character and a clean, pure finish.

Overall: roughly a 92-point professional consensus, with Wine Enthusiast leading at 93. It's a compelling, cool-climate Pinot: perfumed red fruit, savory/earthy complexity, limestone-derived minerality, bright acidity and fine, persistent tannins. The Rays Road vineyard is elevated and limestone-rich, producing a particularly focused expression.