Escarpment Pahi Pinot Noir 2022

Located on the renowned alluvial terrace of Te Muna Road, near Martinborough in the Wairarapa region, Escarpment vineyard benefits from a cool and windy climate, ideal for Pinot Noir. The Pahi cuvée vines are planted on deep gravel soils mixed with clay, offering excellent drainage and moderate water stress. Close to the south coast of the North Island, the site enjoys maritime influences that temper summer heat and promote slow ripening, ensuring balance and aromatic complexity.

Sourced from carefully selected plots, Pahi Pinot Noir is harvested manually then sorted before fermentation in open vats, with a variable proportion of whole bunches depending on the vintage, to preserve aromatic elegance and structure. Fermentation occurs with indigenous yeasts, with gentle punch-downs to delicately extract color and tannins. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels for several months, with a portion in new wood, to refine the texture and complexify the bouquet while respecting the purity of the fruit.

This wine reveals notes of black cherry, plum, and red berries, complemented by floral touches of violet, spicy nuances of sweet pepper and clove, as well as subtle woody accents of toasted oak and vanilla. On the palate, the texture is silky, supported by fresh acidity and fine tannins, with a long and harmonious finish that reveals beautiful depth.

Introduced in 1819, vine growing was greatly developed by Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, a French Marist missionary. Sent to Oceania in 1837, he settled there from January 1838 onwards to develop New Zealand's vineyards. The first quality vineyards were established in the Hawke's Bay region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. After setbacks caused first by phylloxera and then by the First World War, the vineyards began to expand again during the Second World War, when their area doubled. Today, New Zealand has 10 main wine regions spread across the North and South Islands, the largest of which is Marlborough. Most of New Zealand's wine regions have a maritime climate. The country's long, narrow shape means that vineyards are never more than 120 km from the coast, and most are much closer than that (with the exception of the semi-continental Central Otago region). A spine of mountains running down the centre of the country shields most of the main wine regions from the strong westerly winds off the Tasman Sea known as the "Roaring Forties". Because of these winds, there are few wine regions on New Zealand's west coast. The quality and reputation of New Zealand wines are well established. Indeed, the country produces some of the best and most renowned Sauvignon Blanc in the world. And it is no coincidence that New Zealand has made Sauvignon Blanc its emblem, just like its sheep, its kiwis and its legendary haka!