2016 TWR (Te Whare Ra) Pinot Noir Marlborough

This delivers a very complete and fruit-focused impression with the right balance of fresh red cherries and berries and more savory, woody and lightly earthy notes. The freshness and elegance is impressive.

Moderately dark ruby-red colour with slight purple hues and some depth, lighter edged. The nose is elegant in presentation with fresh, bright and vibrant aromas of dark-red and black cherry fruit with notes of raspberries, unfolding suggestions of black plums, and a complex amalgam of dark herbs, violet florals and nuances of black minerals. Medium-bodied, the palate is initially shy in expression, but reveals a taut and finely concentrated core of sweetly ripe dark-red and black berry fruit. The flavours grow in richness and blossom on the mid-palate to fill the mouth with floral, herb and mineral detail. The fruit is underlined by supple tannin extraction and crisp, lacy acidity in the background lending tension and energy. The wine carries to a tight, lingering finish of sweet red berry fruits. This is a taut and finely restrained Pinot Noir with a concentrated core blossoms on the palate and supported by fine, supple tannins. Match with poultry and pork over the next 5+ years. Hand-picked fruit from the ‘TWR Home Block’ and the Eatwell’s ‘Rawiri’ vineyard, Omaka, clones 113, 114, 115, 667, 777, 10/5, Abel and 5, destemmed and fermented with a small portion of whole bunches in some parcels to 13.0% alc., the wine spending 14 days on skins post ferment and aged 11 months in 30% new French oak.