Riposte The Sabre Pinot Noir 2023 (6x 750mL), Adelaide Hills, SA.

Expert Reviews

Stylish and complex, the enticing bouquet shows dark plum, raspberry, warm spice, mushroom and toasted almond characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering fleshy texture, backed by finely infused tannins, finishing persistent and elegant. Gorgeously poised and harmonious with seductive complexity. At its best: now to 2033.- 95 Points, 5 Stars, Sam Kim - Wine Orbit

Sourced from six Pinot clones grown in the elite Hills districts of Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley, each clone vinified separately and matured in French barrels, 25% new, finally undergoing barrel selection of the best 85% of the wine before final blending. What results is gently floral, red cherry toned and softly spiced. A faint note of char reminds you of the well figured oak regime, with a subtle grippiness in the finish noting that this is a well-intentioned, clear-sighted Pinot that is focused on purity of expression.- 93 Pomts, Tony Love - Winepilot

From the very first, this wine reveals a compelling and engaging combination of nuances and complex characters. The nose opens with a truffle and mushroom-like aroma with subtle meaty touches delving into the primary cherry characters. The palate is layered and textured but with a fine thread of acidity holding the line. Integrated oak and fruit captured perfectly as it gathers through to a long finish.- 93 Points, Ray Jordan - Winepilot

This is the next step up from the team in their Pinotsphere, and while it is already drinking beautifully, putting this away in the cellar while drinking the current Dagger would work. Made from a range of clones which are all vinified discretely, the vineyards are located at Lenswood and Picadilly in the Adelaide Hills. The individual components then spent time in French oak barrels, one quarter of them new, whereupon a barrel selection was made before the final blending. A very pale garnet hue, this is constructed in a more savoury style with hints of warm earth, florals, dry herbs, undergrowth and delicatessen meats. There is early complexity already evident and the wine is linear in structure with good focus, satiny tannins and bright acidity. Enjoy this over the next six to eight years.-93 Points, Ken Gargett - Winepilot

The 2023 The Sabre Pinot Noir is all cherries and exotic spice, with lean, leafy characters on the mid-palate. This is a complex wine of presence and finesse, but with the 2024 Dagger so fresh in my mind, I can't help searching for some of that perfectly ripe, concentrated and yet capacious fruit that I tasted there. This is undoubtedly more complex and has cherry pip, aniseed, clove and iodine, so gravitate to what makes you sing. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.- 92 Points, The Wine Advocate

The wine opens with warm brown spice, stewed black cherry, some fresh red plum, gingerbread scents and dashes of pepper and clove. A savoury start. The palate is quite juicy, though finds good fringes of dusty tannin, and it leans into dryness quite a bit through the finish. Indeed, it's all teetering into dry-red territory, missing a bit of pinosity, but as a structured, savoury red, it does quite well.- 90 Points, Mike Bennie