A complex Martinborough Pinot Noir made by wine maker Paul Mason that offers aromas of soft red and dark cherry and plum, complemented by hints of exotic spice and earthiness. On the palate, the wine is tight and structured, laced with spicy, savoury notes and a lingering, herbal acidity.

This is an excellent value Wairarapa Pinot Noir. The grapes are carefully selected to create a great New Zealand Pinot with a medium body and a fruit forward and complex palate.  

Muirkirk vineyard is situated on Felton Road in Bannockburn on a gentle north west sloping corner. This wine is about single site expression, a small limited parcel that shows the true characters of our vineyard within one of Central Otago’s greatest sub regions.

A great wine from Morrison Vineyard in Central Otago that ticks every box from being a silky textured, seductive Pinot Noir to drink now and is a keeper with its fantastic structure. New oak is kept intentionally low here with 15% adding support and smoothness while an overall 50% whole bunch fermentation adds the shoulder pads without dominating here. 

Winemaker Duncan Forsyth describes Morrison Vineyard Pinot Noir as a total sleeper, a taut wine that delivers concentration and power which belies the initial impression. It is, he says, the quintessential steel fist/velvet glove.

2022 ANGEL FLOWER PINOT NOIR
Season summary
Under the influence of La Nina, the vines had good growth and good flowering conditions which resulted in solid yields. 200mm in February had us on edge, but diligent viticulture and a dry March and April allowed us to hang the fruit out till the end of April and achieve optimum ripeness. The resulting wines are an elegant expression of our Waikari farm. 

Tasting note
Light garnet hue. With a beautifully expressive nose of rose petals and dried herbs, the complexity leaps out of the glass. Silky texture, with crushed red fruits and with a velvet mineral acidity. Fine tannins support this elegantly floral and savoury expression of Angel Flower in 2022. Great length, subtle flavours that linger long. A elegant wine that has understated power.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. A beautiful, very steep, north-facing block. Coarse, shallow soils that enhance the aromatics; 15% clay, 5-10% active lime. Harvest dates: 20 April 2022

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts using infusion methods for 21-27 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden barrels. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

303 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles produced.
pH:3.91
Chemical Analysis
Alcohol: 13.5%
TA: 5.0g/L SO2: 50ppm
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes

Bold, spicy and beautiful Pinot Noir from the deep south made by Matt Connell and Dom and Ally Mondillo, who founded Mondillo Wines. The couple were the first people to plant grapes in Bendigo, one of the most arid, dry sub regions in Central Otago, the world's southernmost wine region. Bendigo is often the first area in the wider region to harvest grapes each year and Dom Mondillo typically ensures that his grapes are 100% destemmed before fermentation. 

This wine was aged for 10 months in French oak, 25% new, which flatters its elegant red fruit flavours, providing silky flavours and textures. This wine drinks well now and will benefit from bottle age of at least four to five years.  

Churton Pinot Noir  

WINEMAKING
The grapes were 100% handpicked and gravity fed into open top fermenters with 20% whole bunch inclusion. The skins were gently pumped over twice a day. The total time on skins was 21 days before being gently pressed off and matured in French oak for 16 months. The wine went through 100% malolactic fermentation in early spring before blending and bottling.


TASTING NOTES
On the nose fragrant and bright aromas of red liquorice, rose petals, dried spices, cranberries, cherries and blackberries. On the palate a core of wild strawberry and bramble fruits flavours is underpinned by silky tannins and fine acidity, with a long, crisp finish of slate and spice. This wine is concentrated but elegant.

Full bodied, earthy and superbly well structured Pinot Noir for now and the cellar. Runholder is one of our favourite full bodied Martinborough Pinot Noirs with spicy structured flavours of black plums, dark macerated cherries and smoky mushrooms with notes of cedar and pronounced oak. 

Runholder is made with grapes grown on the Te Kairanga Home and McLeod vineyards, which were destemmed grapes then fermented in stainless and aged in French oak for 10 months for structured, smoothness and a velvety texture. 

Winemaker John Kavanagh is one of the top Pinot Noir makers in Martinborough and has a long track record of outstanding Pinots from both this region and also in Nelson, in his former role at Neudorf Vineyards. 

TK Runholder is dry as a bone with .29 grams of residual sugar per litre. It's made from seven clones of Pinot Noir: Abel, 777, 6, 5, 115, 667 and 828.

One of the best South Island Pinot Noir with its gentle spicy aromas, deep earthy flavours and beautiful structural style, supported by lifted red berry and cherry aromas. This is a stunning wine. 

Greystone is a North Canterbury's winery situated in the Waipara Valley where its vines are planted on the limestone rich hillsides with north facing aspects and producing 100% estate grown, 100% certified organic wines. This wine consistently over delivers with savoury flavours, a silky character and the ability to age extremely well, thanks to Dom Maxwell's winemaking and great viticulture from the Greystone team in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury.

It's one of our favourites here at Regional because it consistently over delivers with savoury flavours reminding many of us of the great mushrooms of the world and the complex taste of outstanding Pinot Noirs. This wine has elegance, a silky character and the ability to age extremely well, thanks to Dom Maxwell's winemaking and great viticulture from the Greystone team in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. 

Certified organic with BioGro NZ.

About Greystone

The Greystone wine story began in 2000 when the Thomas Family bought an old sheep farm on the Omihi hills in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. The rolling limestone hills lured this family in and their goal was a single minded one: to make great wines from the limestone rich soils here. Fast forward 20 years and Greystone is one of the great (and, some might say, yet to be fully discovered) wineries in this outstanding wine region. Not least due to the work of winemaker Dom Maxwell and general manager Nick Gill, who began working together in 2005 and has grown along with the brand and quality. 

Dark crimson in colour, this wine is brooding with a rich, bold, and powerful bouquet of savoury red berry fruit, aromas of sweet raspberries, framboise liqueur and sweet vanilla. Lush, juicy, and very appealing savoury tannins give the wine great texture.

We expect this wine to reward careful cellaring over 7-10 years.

Dark crimson in colour, this wine is brooding with a rich, bold, and powerful bouquet of savoury red berry fruit, aromas of sweet raspberries, framboise liqueur and sweet vanilla. Lush, juicy, and very appealing savoury tannins give the wine great texture.

We expect this wine to reward careful cellaring over 7-10 years.

Escarpment fashions Pinot Noir from the Martinborough district in New Zealand. Part of our ethos is to explore boundaries and create wines of interest and complexity.

W I N E M A K E R S   N O T E

The Noir label brings together over three decades of wine making experience, creating a soft, bright, fruit forward wine which can be enjoyed immediately or will cellar successfully for several years. Made using traditional techniques from fruit grown on the Martinborough terrace. The fruit was destemmed into open top vessels and fermented using indigenous yeast. After an average vat time of 20 days the wine was pressed off and aged in predominately older French barriques for 10 months. Bottled without fining or filtration, the resulting wine is a blend of 24 individual parcels. Structure and texture sit perfectly with ripe fruit flavours and gentle tannins that combine with intriguing complexity. Enjoy with many types of cuisine or cellar confidently for up to 5 years.

T A S T I N G 

Bright ruby red in colour, the wine opens with lifted perfume and fresh summer berries. An elegant vintage has given us softness and focus. It is very fragrant and attractive with fresh red berries, underpinned with turned earth, subtle spice and savoury notes, which add to complexity. The fresh berries continue on the palate with ripe cranberry, fresh cherry and strawberry, creating a bright vibrancy and crunchie freshness. Soft, fine-grained tannin also intertwine on the palate, creating texture and poise. This is an attractive wine that is immediately appealing but will also reward with a few years in the cellar. Serve at 16°C and enjoy with any red meat and rich pasta dishes, or as a perfect accompaniment to a barbeque.

?A translucent garnet hue with aromas of wild strawberry, pomegranate and pomelo laced with wild thyme, cedar, and gunflint. This unique bouquet is followed on the palate with cardamom, allspice, damson plum, strawberry, and tart cherry. The wine is lithe and agile with fine tannins and incredible persistence, finishing with distinctive salinity. Intense fragrance, unique savoury undertones, and electric energy are the hallmarks of Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir and the 2022 vintage delivers this in a balletic way.  Mesmerising at release, this wine will continue to develop for at 15+ year? Jen Parr - September 2023

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

You could say this is the ultimate insider's wine. It's a new brand made by highly experienced Marlborough winemaker William Hoare, who was the original winemaker and then GM at Fromm. Novum is his new brand. It is named after the Roman word 'novum', meaning new. The grapes are from Dog Point's Settlement Vineyard, which is certified organic. It's tight, youthful, medium bodied, silky in texture and will age superbly.

Te Kano is a Central Otago based winery making stylish, high quality wines. Their Pinot Noir is a supple, fruity wine with raspberry, plum and cherry flavours. Subtle savoury herbal notes bring complexity and elegance. This wine is unfined and unfiltered to preserve its finesse and purity.