2021 Martinborough weekend with Kai, Marion and friends

Kai of Schubert Wines, Martinborough was keen to host Wellington wine friends at his and Marion’s winery in Martinborough to taste a special 2016 Schubert barrel selection pinot noir. Mark and I organised for friends to each bring a pinot noir or two (a few other wines also snuck in) to compare with Kai’s wine. Schubert Wines’ assistant winemaker Max was also in attendance.

The pinot noirs were organised by Kai and Larry (Escarpment) into interesting pairs and blinded. The pinot noirs were then organised into two flights. The two flights were separated by a visit to Escarpment’s Te Rehua vineyard.

Thanks to Marion and Kai for an excellent meal and for hosting us for a great day of wine tasting in Martinborough.

Mark and I began the weekend in Martinborough with tastings at Ata Rangi and Nga Waka.

Mark and I visited Ata Rangi for a bottle tasting. All wines under screwcap.

• 2015 Ata Rangi Riesling Craighall

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  A good vintage of one of NZ’s best dry rieslings. The vines were then 33 years old. 2018 was the last vintage of Craighall Riesling because the vines needed to be grubbed out due to disease. Pale gold. A touch of kerosene on the nose, with citrus and slaty mineral notes. Some subtle development on palate. Parched dry and mineral. Appealing texture. Under screwcap it should gently evolve and drink well beyond 2030.

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• 2020 Ata Rangi Summer Rosé

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  A top dry NZ rosé. Syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and – to add freshness, we were told – pinot gris. Copper coloured. Attractive spicy, red fruited and mineral aromatics. Juicy yet spicy and savoury fruits. Bright and crunchy largely red fruit. Pomegranate, rhubarb and river gravel.

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• 2019 Ata Rangi Sauvignon Blanc Te Wā

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  “Te Wā” is Te Reo Māori meaning “time and place”, we were told. Not a typical NZ sauvignon blanc. More Sancerre than Marlborough. No botrytis fruit. The juice 40% in tank, 40% barrel fermented and around 8% on skins. Richer palate weight. Not herbaceous. Straw, apricot, pear, papaya and yellow apple. A sauvignon I like very much – one of my favourite NZ sauvignons. Now at its best until around 2026.

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• 2020 Ata Rangi Pinot Gris Lismore

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  From vines over 23 years old. Made in neutral barrels. Residual sugar of 3.5 grams per litre and the alcohol just on the right side of too high at 14.5% ABV. An appealing nose of pear, nectarine, pineapple and grapefruit. In the mouth, a hint of sweetness with a mineral, earthy backbone. Concentrated, showing its warmer vintage. More exotic and orchard fruit than citrus. Quince, guava, clotted cream and hints of white mushroom. Again, in my opinion, one of NZ’s better pinot gris, here from a good vintage.

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• 2019 Ata Rangi Chardonnay Pōtiki

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  “Pōtiki” means “last born” in Te Reo. As with the riesling, in my view, the Ata Rangi Craighall was one of NZ’s top 10 chardonnays, most vintages. As earlier, 2018 was the last Craighall Chardonnay. Grapes for the Pōtiki were drawn from a selection of Ata Rangi’s newer plantings and some more established blocks in the Masters and Walnut Ridge vineyards on the Martinborough Terrace. New French barrique 20%. Showing signs of reduction, a mineral, spicy and citric bouquet. Pleasing mouthfeel. Very dry with a younger vines quality. Pears, peaches, bauxite, vanilla pod and lively spices. Framed by some toasty oak, yet to absorb. Drink from 2023. It will take some years I suspect for this cuvée to grow to replace the Craighall. [Update: from 2020 Ata Rangi has added the excellent “Masters” single vineyard chardonnay to its portfolio].

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• 2017 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir McCrone

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  This is a single vineyard wine. The McCrone vineyard was planted in 2001 with the Abel clone (Martinborough’s most distinctive clone), Dijon selections (115 and 777) and Clone 5. The site is distinctly different to most of Ata Rangi’s more gravel-dominant soils. Distinctive clay deposits originate from a seam that winds its way through the Terrace and fans out over the gravels. The major characteristics are the water-holding ability that the clay brings and temperature, that tends to be much cooler than that of more gravelly locations elsewhere on the terrace. Organic certification since 2014.
  
  The product of a cooler vintage. Whole bunch 45%. Lighter colour than the other two pinots. A lifted, spicy bouquet of blackberries and dark cherries with touches of cranberry. Detailed, earthy and savoury. A spicy, broad palate of mainly dark cherry and berry fruit. Some tartness to the cherry. Precise acids. Smoky with graphite, minerals and dry soil. Satiny tannins and mouthfeel. Wine of the tasting. Drink from now to approximately 2040. A top quality pinot noir from one of NZ’s best producers.

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• 2018 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Vines ranging from 10-30 years of age. A warmer vintage than 2017. Whole bunch 35%. Deep ruby colour. A bouquet of plums, dark raspberries, herbs, violets and warm earth. Denser and richer than the other two pinots. Concentrated and rounded. A firmer tannin structure than with the two 2017s. The fresh acids quite tense. For me, on the day, showing a little behind the two 2017 pinots, although that may be due to their additional year in bottle. I would give the 2018 some cellar time (drink from 2024).

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• 2017 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Whole bunch 35%. Like with the McCrone a lighter ruby than the 2018. Herby, spicy, earthy aromatics with red cherries, raspberries and rose petals. On palate, the 2017 reminded me of the 2012. A finer, more elegant wine than the 2018. Appealing earthy notes with red currants and red cherries. Dried and some fresh herbs, forest floor and field mushrooms. Layered with lovely, precise acidity. Finishing long, dry and mineral with attractive austerity. Another excellent pinot noir. Drink from now to approximately 2037.

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Mark and I stopped in for a quick bottle tasting at Nga Waka on the Martinborough Terraces.

• 2020 Nga Waka Sauvignon Blanc

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  A bouquet of fresh gooseberries and passionfruit, some herbaceous cut wet grass. A mouth of passionfruit and grapefruit with a mineral finish. More Marlborough-like sauvignon than the Ata Rangi. Not really my style.

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• 2019 Nga Waka Chardonnay 88 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  A spicy, vanillin nose (20% new oak) of citrus and orchard fruit. Mealy with pears and nectarines and some almond paste. Nice acidity. A decent everyday drinking Chardonnay.

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• 2018 Nga Waka Chardonnay Home Block 90 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  100% Mendoza clone, 25-30% new oak. Nga Waka’s reserve chardonnay. A step up in quality. Richer, fuller, more body. Tactile and creamy. Drink from now.

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• 2019 Nga Waka Rosé 87 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  100% pinot noir. Fresh raspberry, straw and bright lemon aromas. Refreshing and bone dry on palate.

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• 2018 Nga Waka Pinot Noir 87 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Less than 10% whole bunch, new oak 25-30%. Deep ruby colour. A warm vintage bouquet of black pepper, dark spices and black fruit. On palate, rich, upfront fruit (that the Nga Waka person said was “unusual” for them). Also, some fruit sweetness, not seemingly bone dry. I thought it needed some time to integrate the new oak. On the other hand, I worried the wine might not last medium to longer term. For me, a pass. 87?

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• 2018 Nga Waka Pinot Noir Lease Block 90 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Nga Waka’s reserve pinot. 18 year old vines. 15-20% whole bunch. A more complex black fruited bouquet than the 2018. Dried and fresh herbs and spicy, vanillin oak. More texture and detail on palate. Fully ripe, opulent, dark berry and cherry fruit. Also, more grippy tannin the 2018 that will need time to integrate. More savoury than the 2018. Hold until 2025+. Excellent! 90+.

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• 2010 Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

  France, Champagne

  Mike’s Champagne was served double blind. I thought it was a 2008 Blanc de Blancs but did not pick the house style. Some pleasant, toasty, spicy development. Rich and full with yeasty autolysis notes. Almond paste, grapefruit, pears, yellow apples and chalky minerals. Appropriately oxidised for its age. Fresh acidity. No hurry to drink (10+ years?).

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• 2011 Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Ambonnay 90 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  I could not place the style of Maciej’s Champagne, served double blind. Leaner, more mineral, in a drier style. Spare with assertive acids, I wasn’t surprised, on the reveal, that the vintage was 2011. Youthful yet oxidised, a little disjointed. Seemingly low or zero dosage. I was not sure where this Champagne was going and whether it would benefit from longer cellar time.

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• 2014 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru La Forest 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Served double blind. A bouquet of wet oyster shell, lemon zest, iodine, pear and sea spray. On palate, pure and persistent lemon citrus and chalky minerality. Quintessential and very classy Chablis that I thought, before the reveal, was a little tight and closed. As on previous tastings, superb! A top vintage, of close to Grand Cru quality. Ideally, drink from 2025. 93+.

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• 2016 Buisson-Charles Meursault 1er Cru Bouches-Chères 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault 1er Cru

  Served double blind. Deeper gold. Vanilla pod, pears, blanched almonds, lemon zest and meadow flowers. An attractive white Burgundy, richer, more opulent and fuller than the Chablis. Bright, precise acidity. Good structure and length. I thought it could use a few more years in the cellar (optimally hold until 2024+). 92+.

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• 2013 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Cincuenta y Cinco 90 Points

  Argentina, Patagonia

  Served double blind with the Cathiard. A spicy, herby nose of raspberries, red cherries and touches of red plums. Quite generous. Less so on the palate, seeming cooler climate and a little austere. Raspberries, strawberries and some tart cranberries. New World, I thought. I quite liked it but did not think it particularly complex or layered. Bright, fruit forward. On the reveal, a mid hierarchy Argentinian wine, although I thought it could have been cooler vintage NZ, say Marlborough.

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• 2009 Sylvain Cathiard Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Aux Thorey 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Chacra. A step up. A lovely, musky, floral bouquet. Red cherries and some red plums with a little edge of citrus. On palate, succulent, largely red cherry and berry fruit. Soft, rounded, spherical tannins. Elegant and cultured. Clearly quality red Burgundy from a warmer vintage (I guessed 2009), but no sign of surmaturité. Open for business. Charming.

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• 2004 Bernard Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Served double blind with the Schubert. Earth, sous bois and dried herbs on the bouquet. Also something unhygienic, I thought might be threshold brettanomyces. On palate, sweet fruit leading to some unsavoury flavours, I thought again might be brett. Earthy, powerful and large scaled but not elegant. Rustic. Andrew H suggested green pyrazines might be the problem, which seemed plausible when the vintage was revealed. I usually enjoy Dugat-Py – in their particular house style – but not this bottle (I don’t know whether this bottle is representative of the wine, not having had others).

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• 2018 Schubert Pinot Noir Marion's Vineyard 92 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa

  Served double blind with the Dugat-Py. A bouquet of Asian and Indian spices, bonfire smoke, raspberries and red cherries. On palate, I had this wine as appealing, elegant, relatively young red Burgundy. Not as classy as the Cathiard, but good. Strawberries and raspberries with red cherries, very savoury, showing warm earth notes. Also, wet brushwood and dried herbs. I did not pick this wine as a Wairarapa pinot.

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• 2009 Domaine Bruno Clair Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Dugat-Py. A complex, musky, earthy bouquet of cherries and berries. Very polished. On palate, pristine and clean. Complex and elegant. Refined yet powerful and full. Beautiful ripe fruit. Excellent structure, balance and length. I thought it was a classy Grand Cru red Burgundy. I did not pick Gevrey-Chambertin, let alone Clos St. Jacques. On the reveal I was surprised a 2009 Clos St. Jacques was already so accessible. Ideally, I would still give it a couple more years. 94+.

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• 2001 Bernard Dugat-Py Mazis-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

  My wine served blind to me with the Bruno Clair. Very dark, serious bouquet, black cherries and dark berries. Espresso and black liquorice. On palate, huge power and concentration. Rich fruit, yet elegant and in proportion. Spherical, fine grained tannins. Lovely silky mouthfeel. Layers of black fruit, mineral, liquorice and meaty flavours. I picked the wine as mine or another 20 year old Grand Cru Dugat-Py. Some other tasters liked it less than me, suggesting it was a Barolo or a Californian pinot noir. Returning to the last half glass later, it was opening up beautifully. A near immortal wine but presently at its best more than six hours after a thorough decant. 96+.

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• 2004 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin 89 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Served double blind with the Hudelot-Noellat. A noticeably garnet, browning colour. A bouquet moving from secondary to tertiary. Sous bois, dry brush, tobacco leaf, earth and some musk. On palate, I had this wine as a faded 1990s 1er Burgundy, or potentially even a 1990s New World. Then I started to think, again, about 2004 pyrazines. Tertiary, stalky, brambly flavours. On the reveal, a 17 year old Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin should have more life in it than this. Again, I don’t know if this was just a bottle issue or is more widespread with this wine.

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• 2003 Alain Hudelot-Noëllat Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Arlaud. Back on form here. Garnet colour but lively and bright. An enchanting bouquet of a mélange of red and black cherries and berries, kirsch and slaty minerals. In the mouth, intense, fresh and very youthful. Powerful and clean, crammed full of quite primary, opulent and ripe berry fruit. I guessed the vintage as 2009. Drinking very young, and very well, for a 2003. No sign of stereotypical 2003 overripe or jammy fruit. Excellent!

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• 1999 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Mongeard-Mugneret. A bouquet of polished, bright red and black cherries, blackberries and some plums with dark spices and faint violet and rose perfumes. On palate, “very good, ripe fruit”, said Larry. “Fine, excellent tannins”, said Cathy with Mike adding “a complete wine”. Lovely sweet fruit. Cathy guessed the vintage as 2002 or 2005, with me picking 2002. Classic red Burgundy, I thought. For drinking now. Once revealed, showing really well for this label.

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• 2013 Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Orveaux

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Courcel. A nose of blackcurrants, slaty minerals, black cherries and geraniums. On palate, a cooler Burgundy vintage I thought, based on the racy, somewhat coarse acidity, yet to integrate. A little disjointed between the acids, fruit and tannins. A strange wine, I thought, I could not place. I scored it an 89 but, once revealed, decided it was either bottle variation or too young to fairly score. On this evidence anyway, try the Les Orveaux from 2025+.

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• 2016 Schubert Pinot Noir Selection 94 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa

  Served double blind with the 2016 Kupe. Aromatic showing bright berry and cherry fruit, spices, dried herbs and dark florals. On palate, delicious, vibrant and spicy. Showing both plenty of rich, primary fruit and a touch of earthy and herby progression. An excellent wine I thought red Burgundy, rather than New World.
  
  On the reveal, a successful preview of Kai’s special selection cuvée. 100% Abel clone. I thought Kai should release this wine as a reserve wine. Marvellous!

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• 2016 Escarpment Pinot Noir Kupe 94 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  Served double blind with Kai’s barrel selection wine. Its pair showed similar quality. A lovely Charmes-Chambertin-like bouquet of ripe dark cherries, violets and dark spices. There’s also complex aromas of warm soil, truffle, clove and leather. On palate, an appealing wine. A full, ripe expression, made me think again of 2009 red Burgundy. Seemingly sweet fruited, with suave, refined tannins. Young and fruit forward, I noted that I would drink from 2026 onwards. Complex and layered.
  
  On the reveal, Larry noted the 2016 Kupe was 50% new oak and 70% whole bunch. The 2016 Kupe clearly had the fruit to handle both. After the tasting I opened a bottle from my cellar, with very similar impressions. The best Kupe yet? 94+.

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• 2002 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Echezeaux du Dessus 96 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Echezeaux Grand Cru

  Served double blind with the Pyramid Valley. A gorgeous, perfumed nose I guessed was Vosne-Romanée. Spice rack, crème de cassis, violets and dark roses, black cherries and blackberries. On palate, clearly of Grand Cru quality. Serious matière, structure and mid palate fruit depth. Drinking relatively young, some tasters guessed the late 2000s. Larry disagreed with me saying “it should be tighter, it’s all there, but it’s a bit flabby”. When the wine was revealed, my take was that that character was opulent, fully ripe, but not over-ripe 2002 fruit. A classic 2002 Jayer-Gilles. Enjoy over the 2020s.

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• 2015 Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir Earth Smoke 94 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara

  Served double blind with the Jayer-Gilles. An ethereal, lighter, lifted bouquet of red cherries, raspberries and even some strawberries, garrigue, dried herbs and warm tilled soil with gentle florals. On palate, very herbal, including some touches of freshly cut green herbs (but not unpleasant pyrazine or green notes). I thought the wine could be New World or cooler vintage red Burgundy but did not think of Pyramid Valley. I was not surprised by the reveal. A top, on song Pyramid Valley Botanical with a nice bit of development. Drink from now until 2025+.

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• 2016 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Prephylloxera "La Vigna di Don Peppino" Calderara Sottana 93 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

  Served blind to me with the de Vogüé. I was interested to see if tasters would pick the Etna Rosso as not pinot noir. No one suggested this wine was anything other than pinot noir although, tasting it, I was pretty confident it was my wine. Expressive on the nose, with notes of red currant, soil, red cherry, dried herbs, garrigue and crushed volcanic rock. On entry to the palate, ultra-fine grained, but tactile, tannins. Earthy, with rocky minerality. Seriously structured. Red cherries and red currants, largely red fruited. More open textured than the Burgundies. High quality, yet young. Optimally, hold until at least 2025 – 2027, when I may well score it higher.

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• 2000 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  Served double blind with the Terre Nere. Much darker colour. Black cherries and blackberries – quite dark fruited – with graphite, damson plums and dark floral perfumes. A couple of winemakers noted VA in the bouquet. A sleeker and more dark berried mouth than the Don Peppino. Elegant and seamless. Some development but still fairly primary. I did not guess at the 16 years age difference with the Don Peppino. Possibly it may drink even better from 2024+.

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• 2016 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Served double blind with the Bachelet. The lighter coloured of the pair. An attractive, fragrant bouquet, spicy and elegant, with a touch of florals. Some of the tasters liked this wine a lot more than I did. To me, it was too sweet and a little coconuty. I wasn’t sure whether this was an oak character. Someone mentioned beetroot and a winemaker observed it was “slightly simple”. For me, a pass.

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• 2009 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Served double blind with the Twomey. Good intense, dark ruby. Aromatic black cherries, smoky, charred, fatty bacon, beef stew and nascent dark floral perfumes. On palate, more bonfire smoke and bacon fat with some espresso. A huge volume of largely dark berry fruit, cherries and some plums. I recognised the quality but – unlike many of the others – thought it really needed 5+ more years in the cellar. Ideally, hold until 2026+. (93-94+).

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• 2015 Rudolf Fürst Hundsrück Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Franken

  Served double blind with the Arlaud. A nice cool climate bouquet of spicy, herby red fruit, warm earth and tarragon. Crunchy red berries and cherries, with green and dried herbs and wet soil on palate. Persistent acidity and a little light weight. I thought it might be a modest red Burgundy – perhaps a 1er – from a non-sol vintage like 2013 or 2011. But it was a decent German Spätburgunder. Ready now.

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• 2011 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Served double blind with the Fürst. Deeper colour. More black fruited scents than the Spätburgunder, also spices, earth and dark flowers. A dark fruited mouth, crystalline, with fresh but – to me – well balanced acidity. Someone suggested a “hot finish”, but I did not agree. For me, the ingredients – acids, fruit and oak - in good proportion but not hugely complex or nuanced. Still, on the reveal, I was pleased to see an Arlaud showing well. No pyrazines or green notes seen or suggested with the 2011 Charmes.

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• 2006 Mountford Pinot Noir The Gradient 93 Points

  New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara

  Served double blind with the Schubert. A peaty nose of wet straw, dried herbs and black cherries, with a dash of black pepper. It paired well with Kai’s venison dish. The wine was apparently 100% whole cluster and 200% new oak. The stems were apparent but the fruit, and time, had swallowed almost all of the oak. Showing well, agreeably developed and mellowed. Once revealed, not a wine I am familiar with. To drink over the next couple of years.

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• 2018 Schubert Pinot Noir Block B 92 Points

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa

  Served double blind with the Mountford. Spices and herbs with red currants, cherries and plums. On palate, quite refined and balanced. Persistent acidity. A lot of structure. Some grippy tannins to resolve. Drink from 2023.

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• 2016 William Grace Pinot Noir

  New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

  As a final pour, Mark served his wine, supposedly double blind, but it was not hard to guess it was his wine. Black currant and blackberry with crunchy, pretty and expansive fruit. A satisfying young vines Martinborough pinot from a good Martinborough vintage. Drinking well.

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