Daniel Schuster brought a level of experience to his game that we don’t often see. Further more, he is a soft spoken and clearly passionate guy. Sadly, Daniel Schuster Wines got into financial difficulty a few years back and therefore we will probably never see the Daniel Schuster label as we have known it. We loved Danny Schuster, his energy, wit, insight and wisdom from many decades in the wine industry. Most importantly we loved his wines. We were lucky enough to have spent some time with him and he is a true wine legend. We hear Danny is still in the business, consulting, etc., but not making wine under his own label. So let us not forget the man and his art, and one of the best ways we can think of is by enjoying some of his finely crafted work. The fruit all came from the Waipara region just north of Christchurch.

 

 

The 2008 Daniel Schuster Waipara Selection Pinot Noir represents all things we love about the varietal, delicate red fruits, spicy, earthy nuances and a sleek, silky texture with beautiful poise and presence, without heft or excessive scale. This got 90 plus pt scores from the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and rightly so. When we saw the remnants of the last of one of Danny’s masterpieces available we jumped all over it. This is something that we would sell in normal circumstances at around $25 plus, but we can offer this for $17.99, which in light of its pedigree makes it a great deal.

As it happens, the Waipara Pinot has a big brother, the Daniel Schuster Omihi Hills Pinot Noir 2006 which in years past has sold for around $50 and had scored to match. Much more limited in availability, we do have this in stock now for $29.99