2018 Escarpment ‘Kiwa’ Pinot Noir

93 Points - Bob Campbell, The Real Review | Feb 2020
Single vineyard pinot noir with plum, cherry, dried herb, five spice and nutty oak flavours. Still youthful with plenty of potential, although it can be appreciated now. Quite a rich and warming wine.

93 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review | August 2020
Medium red colour with a good purple tint. The bouquet is a mixture of smoky sulfides and toasty oak-derived notes, quite complex and inviting, revealing more dried floral and rose petal notes as it breathed. The palate is intense and firmly structured, with plenty of drying tannins and overall, the style is savoury and not grapy - typical of the maker. The mysterious undergrowth characters make it quite complex and intriguing. (50% whole-bunches) 

About this Wine // From the Winemaker: 
Fruit from an established vineyard, grown on the famous alluvial terrace - a quintessentially Martinborough Pinot Noir, with classic savoury characters, lifted spice and supple tannin. (Escarpment.co.nz)

This wine was grown on the Cleland Vineyard Cambridge Road, Martinborough from 31 year old vines. A combination of deep alluvial gravels which the Martinborough Terraces are renowned for, and a blend of Clones UCD 5 and 6 always rewards us with savoury, complex, spicy wine. It was open top fermented using indigenous yeast in traditional wooden cuvees, hand plunged every 12 hours, with a total vat time of 21 days. After pressing it was matured in 40% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It was fined to protect the flavours and aid brightness in the glass. Bottled without filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and texture. This is an outstanding example of classic Pinot Noir. It will continue to develop for up to 10 years and will always be a wonderful counterpart to any game food.