From then 27 year old vines on Martinborough Terrace alluvial gravels in the Cleland vineyard. Before Escarpment, when winemaker at Martinborough Vineyards, Larry McKenna usually included parcels of Cleland vineyard grapes in his Martinborough Vineyards Reserve wines. Most vintages I have the Kiwa as Escarpment’s top pinot, even though the Kupe is higher in Escarpment hierarchy. The 2008 saw 30% new French oak.
Under cork. After decanting, the Kiwa needed 2-3+ hours oxygen to be approachable. Much more open - and drinking better - on the second evening. Deep black-red colour with garnet at the rim. A dark fruited bouquet with peaty, wet, dark soil, old mahogany chest of drawers, sous bois, black truffle and clove. Similar flavours. Meaty and earthy with black plum, dark chocolate, black cherry and blackberry, framed by spicy, charry oak. The oak in scale and proportion to the fruit and acids. Largely integrated. Some nice, secondary, savoury, umami, soy notes. A warmer vintage character but with sufficient fresh acidity retained. A lot of matière and structure. Dense mouthfeel. Decent length, finishing dry. Now fully mature. I would drink it before 2027+. A top pinot noir showing true Martinborough terroir and typicity. 93+.
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First Wednesday Wine Club (Napoli in Bocca, Haberfield): Served blind. Smells like a slightly tired right bank bordeaux blend, meaty, slight sour black plums, leather, cigar box, oak. In the mouth it's juicy with slight cream, caramel, plum, blackcurrant, chocolate and plenty of alcohol warmth married to big grippy tannins. I thought it was Right bank Bordeaux. An impressively incorrect guess!
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8/10 - Wow, this is really starting to come into its own. A pity this is my last bottle. It's much smoother now and goes down the throat right and proper. Fruits of strawberries, sweet cherries and cranberries are still just as apparent and yummy. I wish I hadn't drunk all the prior bottles yet!
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8/10 - A much better wine than I last remember. It has settled down quite a bit and is no longer a throat burner and tongue scratcher. Strawberries and cream, cranberries and sweet currants continue to make up the bulk of the flavours. Tannins are pretty smooth and the zesty acidity adds a nice touch. The flavours are just a tad muted and slightly overpowered by the alcohol somewhat, but the wine should improve with time.
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Dark ruby in colour. Spicy nose. Medium bodied, quite complex, some sour fruit, integrated tannin, medium finish. Has a stalky element and plenty of depth to the flavour profile. Very nice now, improved with air througout the bottle and is developing nicely.
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7.5/10 - Strawberries and cranberries dominate the flavour profile of this clearly new world pinot. There are hints of earth and oak that add to the complexity. However, the wine could do with more time to integrate and style down, it was just a wee bit rough. Its missing the exciting acidity that I enjoyed in the escarpment and currently is nothing to get too excited about.
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2/18/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 93 Points
From then 27 year old vines on Martinborough Terrace alluvial gravels in the Cleland vineyard. Before Escarpment, when winemaker at Martinborough Vineyards, Larry McKenna usually included parcels of Cleland vineyard grapes in his Martinborough Vineyards Reserve wines. Most vintages I have the Kiwa as Escarpment’s top pinot, even though the Kupe is higher in Escarpment hierarchy. The 2008 saw 30% new French oak.
Under cork. After decanting, the Kiwa needed 2-3+ hours oxygen to be approachable. Much more open - and drinking better - on the second evening. Deep black-red colour with garnet at the rim. A dark fruited bouquet with peaty, wet, dark soil, old mahogany chest of drawers, sous bois, black truffle and clove. Similar flavours. Meaty and earthy with black plum, dark chocolate, black cherry and blackberry, framed by spicy, charry oak. The oak in scale and proportion to the fruit and acids. Largely integrated. Some nice, secondary, savoury, umami, soy notes. A warmer vintage character but with sufficient fresh acidity retained. A lot of matière and structure. Dense mouthfeel. Decent length, finishing dry. Now fully mature. I would drink it before 2027+. A top pinot noir showing true Martinborough terroir and typicity. 93+.
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1/8/2020 - chatters wrote:
First Wednesday Wine Club (Napoli in Bocca, Haberfield): Served blind. Smells like a slightly tired right bank bordeaux blend, meaty, slight sour black plums, leather, cigar box, oak. In the mouth it's juicy with slight cream, caramel, plum, blackcurrant, chocolate and plenty of alcohol warmth married to big grippy tannins.
I thought it was Right bank Bordeaux. An impressively incorrect guess!
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6/14/2013 - darren81 Likes this wine: 92 Points
8/10 - Wow, this is really starting to come into its own. A pity this is my last bottle. It's much smoother now and goes down the throat right and proper. Fruits of strawberries, sweet cherries and cranberries are still just as apparent and yummy. I wish I hadn't drunk all the prior bottles yet!
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9/7/2012 - darren81 wrote:
8/10 - A much better wine than I last remember. It has settled down quite a bit and is no longer a throat burner and tongue scratcher. Strawberries and cream, cranberries and sweet currants continue to make up the bulk of the flavours. Tannins are pretty smooth and the zesty acidity adds a nice touch. The flavours are just a tad muted and slightly overpowered by the alcohol somewhat, but the wine should improve with time.
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6/9/2012 - Mivvy wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby in colour. Spicy nose. Medium bodied, quite complex, some sour fruit, integrated tannin, medium finish. Has a stalky element and plenty of depth to the flavour profile. Very nice now, improved with air througout the bottle and is developing nicely.
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11/13/2010 - darren81 wrote:
7.5/10 - Strawberries and cranberries dominate the flavour profile of this clearly new world pinot. There are hints of earth and oak that add to the complexity. However, the wine could do with more time to integrate and style down, it was just a wee bit rough. Its missing the exciting acidity that I enjoyed in the escarpment and currently is nothing to get too excited about.
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