Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
Crimson red with a deep dark core. Lifted and fragrant, offering all the grace and poise Pinot can give, with an alluring charm. This is a wine that is both subtle and beguiling, yet bold and brooding. It is lifted and fragrant with perfume and spice, along with cascading red and black fruits that offer an array of flavours and complexity. Always evolving in the glass, it has a core of dark fruit with dried porcini mushrooms and cured meat that work in harmony with the floral notes and savoury accents. It is the classic iron fist in a velvet glove. A firm tannin profile rounds out the opulent fruit profile
Vinification details
Near perfect growing conditions led to exceptional fruit that was handled with great care to help retain balance and elegance. 100% Abel clone picked over two days; the fruit was fermented in open top fermenters using indigenous yeast. They were hand plunged once daily for a total vat time of 31 days. After pressing, the wine was aged in 42% new French oak barriques for 19 months, creating a wine with ripe flavours and full tannin. Bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance, and every priority afforded during its elevation, showing all the hallmarks of a grand young Pinot Noir on release.
With winemaker Tim Bourne.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
Complex and powerful with aromas of black cherry and damson plum, dark chocolate, tar, fire embers and burnt caramel oak. This is a serious, concentrated wine with dense fruit, rich tannins and significant ageing potential.
Vinification details
A smaller crop than normal was handled with great care during ferment to gain better balance and elegance. Fermented in wooden French cuvees, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It has created a wine with ripe flavours and soft tannins. Bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
With winemaker Tim Bourne.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
The wine was given every priority during its elevation and now shows all the hallmarks of a grand young wine on release in 2021. It is at the vanguard of Pinot noir style in the New World and should age gracefully for up to 10 years. The wine is a true reflection of both Martinborough’s unique terroir and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna and Tim Bourne
Vintage conditions
2019 vintage started with a devastating frost in October 2018. From then till Christmas the region enjoyed a wetter than normal spring which also impacted on the quality of the flowering. Spring gave a perfect start to summer with plenty of canopy and soil water stored for the drier months. Summer was ideal with healthy canopies and no disease pressure. Harvest started (and finished) earlier than ever before. Large canopies created small crops so ripening was rapid and very successfully. The season was very similar to 2017/18 with average rainfall between September 1st and April 9th. Heat summation for the same period was up by about 15%.
Vinification details
Fermented in wooden French cuvees, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It has created a wine with ripe flavours and soft tannins. It was bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
With winemaker Tim Bourne.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
This wine was given every priority during its elevation and now shows all the hallmarks of a grand young wine. It is at the vanguard of Pinot Noir style in the New World: a true reflection of both Martinborough’s unique terroir and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna and Tim Bourne.
Vintage conditions
The vines which have grown this wine have been Escarpment’s pride and joy since being planted in 1999. The spacing of 1.5m * 1m (6,600 vines/ha) is approaching the planting densities used in Burgundy from where the inspiration for this wine comes. The season was cooler than normal with correspondingly fresher flavours, something Escarpment have been moving towards to gain better balance and elegance.
Vinification details
Fermented in wooden French cuvées, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It was bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
With winemaker Tim Bourne.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
This wine was given every priority during its elevation and now shows all the hallmarks of a grand young wine. It is at the vanguard of Pinot Noir style in the New World: a true reflection of both Martinborough’s unique terroir and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna.
Vintage conditions
The vines which have grown this wine have been Escarpment’s pride and joy since being planted in 1999. The spacing of 1.5m * 1m (6,600 vines/ha) is approaching the planting densities used in Burgundy from where the inspiration for this wine comes. The season was cooler than normal with correspondingly lower alcohol, something Escarpment have been moving towards to gain better balance and elegance.
Vinification details
Fermented in wooden French cuvées, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It was bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
This wine was given every priority during its elevation and now shows all the hallmarks of a grand young wine. It is at the vanguard of Pinot Noir style in the New World: a true reflection of both Martinborough’s unique terroir and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna and Huw Kinch.
Vintage conditions
The vines which have grown this wine have been Escarpment’s pride and joy since being planted in 1999. The spacing of 1.5m * 1m (6,600 vines/ha) is approaching the planting densities used in Burgundy from where the inspiration for this wine comes. The season was warm and drier than average for this block. It has created fruit harvested in brilliant condition giving ripe flavours and soft tannins. The summer was as good as the inspirational 2013 vintage.
Vinification details
Fermented in wooden French cuvées, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It was bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
Technical Analysis
Fruit for Kupe Pinot Noir comes from Escarpment’s close-planted vineyard on Te Muna Road, Martinborough, vines which have been their pride and joy since being planted in 1999.
Tasting note
The wine was given every priority during its elevation and now shows all the hallmarks of a grand young wine. It is at the vanguard of Pinot Noir style in the New World and should age gracefully for up to 10 years. The wine is a true reflection of both Martinborough’s unique terroir and the skills and experience of winemakers Larry McKenna and Huw Kinch.
Vintage conditions
The vines which have grown this wine have been Escarpment’s pride and joy since being planted in 1999. The spacing of 1.5m * 1m (6,600 vines/ha) is approaching the planting densities used in Burgundy from where the inspiration for this wine comes. The season was warm and drier than average for this block. It has created fruit harvested in brilliant condition giving ripe flavours and soft tannins. The summer was as good as the inspirational 2013 vintage.
Vinification details
Fermented in wooden French cuvées, hand plunged and aged in 50% new French oak barriques for 18 months. It was bottled without fining or filtration, promoting soft mouth feel and balance.
