By Raymond Chan
It is always
a pleasure to taste with Larry McKenna. As arguably the foremost Pinot Noir producer
in the country, and taking in his experience and continuing quest to make the
finest wines possible , Larry communicates considerable interest and
information on our most widely planted and popular red variety. In particular, his knowledge of the
Martinborough region is formidable, and the history and current intricacies of
this very important vignoble become revealed during any discussion.
It is this
experience and passion for the Martinborough region that led Larry to explore
the expression of terroir through the release of his ‘Insight’ range of Pinot
Noirs with the 2006 vintage. The three
wines came from some of the most well-established vineyards on the
Martinborough Terrace, where the vines figured among the oldest in the
country. They made a fascinating
comparison with his newer Te Muna road ‘flagship’ wine, the ‘Kupe’ Pinot
Noir.
It was a
privilege to have Larry conduct this tasting of his second release of these
wines at Regional Wines. The tasting was
held before the general release, making it even more special. In addition to the 2008 Pinot Noirs, which
came from a vintage as highly regarded as the practically perfect 2006s, Larry
showed his complete range of white wines, including the ‘Kupe’ Chardonnay
2008. It was a superb tasting. Here are my notes on the wines presented:
Pre-Taster
Larry McKenna has a range of restaurant-focussed, earlier drinking, less complicated
wines under ‘The Edge’ label. The label
can utilise fruit from outside of Martinborough, if necessary. Already, these wines have a following. As a prequel to the Escarpment wines, we had The Edge Martinborough Chardonnay 2009 (17.0+/20),
at 14.0% alc, from Clone 15 fruit, given full solids fermentation with wild
yeasts and lees work, but no MLF or oak contact, made with Chablis in mind. Bright, light straw yellow in colour, this
had a fresh clean nose of white stonefruits with tropical hints and a steely
minerally note. Dry and zingy on palate,
this had good bite with some weight and alcohol, and finished with a long
citrusy finish. This appealed to many.
Flight One: The Aromatic Whites
Larry has
always tried to build complexity into his Pinot white wines. As a first attempt with the Pinot Blanc as a
varietal however, his input was minimal.
The Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough
Pinot Blanc 2009 (18.0+/20) was fermented to 13.5% alc with indigenous
yeasts with no oak nor any MLF influence.
Light straw yellow, this had soft pear and spice aromas with fullness
and good volume. Dry, this was full with
good body and length. There was a mealy
Chardonnay-like fruit note along with a hint of MLF type characters. A wine of real interest. Next was the Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough Pinot Gris 2008 (17.5+/20), 13.5%
alc, fermented and aged 11 months in old barrels leaving 5 g/l rs, lees stirred
undergoing full MLF. Light straw with
golden hues, this was fine and tight on bouquet with pears, nuts and yeast lees
work showing. Dry, this showed rich
citrus and yellow stonefruit flavours along with nutty notes on the
palate. Fresh acidity provided good
drive. The most fruit-driven Pinot Gris
from Larry to date. Showing the benefits
of bottle development, the Escarpment Vineyard
Martinborough Riesling 2007 (18.5+/20) at 12.0% alc, and 15 g/l rs, was
youthful pale straw yellow in colour, and had a powerfully intense and
penetrating nose of limes and toast. A
superbly fine-textured wine, this was dry to taste with fabulous lime, fruits
and kero-toast bottle-age elements. The
depth and finesse of this wine was striking.
This was reminiscent of top Clare Riesling.
Flight Two: Chardonnay
Chardonnay has
been a forté for Larry, his releases being full, sturdy and possessing
burgundian complexities. In
Martinborough, Larry’s preference is for Clone 95, the Clone 15 now mostly
going to The Edge label. The yet-to-be
released Escarpment Vineyard Martinborough
Chardonnay 2008 (17.0+/20) had a bright light golden colour and tight
citrusy nose, balanced by restrained oak notes.
Quite subtle, with some oxidative complexities. Possessing a fulsome rounded palate, this had
mealy, nutty flavours overlaid by fruit flavours of nectarines and peaches,
with honied elements and oak toast. An
approachable, easy wine, this had refreshing acidity. Due to the low yield harvest, the Escarpment Vineyard Chardonnay 2007
(18.0-/20) at 14.0% alc was made from 50% Martinborough fruit and 50% from Te
Mata Estate in Hawke’s Bay, undergoing full BF and MLF. Youthful pale straw colour, this had an
up-front, full nose of mealy, tropical fruit aromas along with a powerful,
attractive MLF component. On palate,
this was an open and accessible wine with full grapefruit, nutty and malo
flavours with fresh acidity. Drinking
well now, this should keep well over the next 4-5 years. The second release of this flagship white
label, the Escarpment Vineyard
Martinborough ‘Kupe’ Chardonnay 2008 (19.0/20), at 13.1% alc, the fruit
100% Pahi vineyard, clone 95, spent 12 months in 30% new oak. It was pale straw yellow in colour, with a
very concentrated and tightly bound bouquet of meal, nutty fruit with a
powerful oak backing and a youthfully raw, steely edge. Dense with real power on the palate, this had
concentrated stonefruit, nuts and minerals in a white burgundy style. The wine had real weight and fine, dense
textures and a very long lingering finish, providing genuine line and
length. This should keep 5-7 years and
develop superbly. It is an excellent
follow up to the 2006 ‘Kupe’ Chardonnay.
Flight Three: Pinot Noir
This is what Larry McKenna is all about. The 2008 vintage was an outstanding one for
the Martinborough district, providing exceptional quality fruit of perfect
health, and in good quantities. This
allowed Larry to further develop his labels and explore the terroir expression
of his best vineyard sites. The
‘regular’ Escarpment label has been made to be softer and more approachable,
while reflecting the Martinborough district as a whole. The ‘Insight’ wines, single-vineyard
expressions, follow on from the inaugural 2006 releases, with a change of name
for two of the labels. And the 2008
‘Kupe’ wine is the fourth release, fruit solely from the Te Muna Road site. First was the
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