2018 Escarpment Pinot Noir Kiwa

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 91 points

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  3/26/2022 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points

  A single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Cleland Vineyard in Martinborough, planted in 1989 to clones 828, UC Davis 5 and 6. Fermented spontaneously in open-top oak fermentors, macerated with the skins for three weeks, aged for 18 months in oak barriques (40% new). Bottled fined, but unfiltered. 13,1% alcohol, 4,8 g/l acidity and pH 3,66.
  
  Luminous, translucent blood-red color with a subtly evolved rusty hue. The nose feels youthful but savory and earthy rather than sweetly-fruited with red-toned aromas of strawberries, some red cherries, a little bit of savory wood spice, light meaty tones, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a fragrant touch of dried violets. The wine is ripe, juicy and quite concentrated on the palate with a rather full body and savory flavors of black cherries, some old wood spice, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light meaty notes of umami, a sweeter hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of fresh cranberry. The overall feel is firm, thanks to the moderately high acidity and gently grippy medium tannins, yet silky in texture. The finish is dry and savory with some tannic grip and lengthy flavors of fresh black cherries, some meaty notes of umami, a little bit of savory wood spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of ripe redcurrant and a touch of tart red berries.
  
  A savory, serious and very harmonious NZPN. Stylistically a bit more earthy and red-toned in nature compared to the slightly sweeter-toned and fruitier 2019 Escarpment Te Rehua Pinot Noir that was tasted alongside. Even though the wine looks like a quite modern new world Pinot Noir from a technical perspective (somewhat modest acidity and the wine sees quite a bit of new oak), the wine feels wonderfully savory and surprisingly fresh on the palate and the emphasis is on the red-toned fruit notes and non-fruit flavors, not on oak aromatics. Even though the wine looked a bit evolved in the glass, on the palate it was anything but. It is drinking really well right now, but I can see the wine improving for many years more. Very promising stuff.

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  3/15/2022 - Pubu Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Classic NZ pinot. Drinking well.

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  3/2/2022 - kostaslonis wrote:

  Nicliani Portfolio tasting (Beef bar): A touch warmer, ripe red fruit, spicy, cinnamon, cherry, currant, bigger than 2018 Pinot noir tasted before, the oak is more upfront, spicier. Palate is round, easy, juicy, cherry, currant, nice acidity, med body, nice texture, earth, a bit tight tannins, long finish

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  11/30/2021 - kostaslonis Likes this wine:

  Tasted at Oinoscent, bottle brought by importer to try
  The wine shows bright profile, very welcoming, different to Te Rehua, more spicy and earthy. The oak is more upfront, showing also ripe red cherry and berry.
  In the palate, the wine shows medium body, a bit of alcohol heat (despite being only 13%), ripe red cherry, medium (slightly drying) tannins, earthy again, sweet spices, medium finish
  A bit uneven between nose and palate, easy and a joy to drink though

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  9/7/2020 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

  This is quite tight for now. It possesses a dark fruit profile and emits the faint scent of violets. It has good grip and finishes with good chew and excellent length.

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