Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir presents itself in the glass with a deep, ruby red color that suggests the depth and intensity of the wine. The fragrance offers complex notes of ripe cherries, raspberries and wild strawberries with underlying notes of spices and smoke. The taste is silky smooth with an impressive complexity. Tasting notes include juicy red berries such as cherries and blackcurrants with underlying notes of vanilla, cocoa and a hint of ginger. The aftertaste is impressively long with an elegant acidity and mineral finish.
Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir is a unique wine that shows Pinot Noir at its finest. The grapes for this wine were carefully harvested to achieve optimal ripeness and complexity. Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir will go perfectly with dishes with lamb, duck or game, where its complexity and silky tannins highlight the flavor of the meat. It can also be enjoyed with mushroom dishes or mild cheeses, where its finesse and aromas complement the flavor composition.
The grapes for this wine are carefully selected to ensure optimal ripeness and complexity. During vinification, great emphasis is placed on preserving the natural character of the grape and creating a wine of exceptional quality. After gentle de-stemming, the grapes are fermented in open vats with regular stirring to extract colour, aromas and fine tannins. This process contributes to creating a wine with depth, structure and finesse.
97 POINTS
The Real Review
Reviewed by Bob Campbell MW
96 POINTS
James Suckling
Intensely spicy and perfumed with concentrated notes of purple plums, cherry stones, rosemary, neroli, cloves, cigar box and ground coffee. The tannins are firm and tightly knit, providing a solid frame to the dark fruit. Sensual and distinctive. Try this from 2024.
95 POINTS
Wine Spectator
A stunning wine, opening up with fleshy black cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and perfumed details of green cardamom seed and dried violet. The tannins are dense, but also thick and velvety, giving plenty of traction to the long, expressive finish, where notes of malty Assam black tea and forest floor linger. Drink now through 2032.
About Escarpment
Escarpment Winery focuses on producing wines of perfect balance and exquisite complexity that reflect the unique terroir of this special part of Aotearoa.
History
Escarpment is defined as “a long, steep slope, typically at the end of a plateau”, and reflects the unique landscape of Martinborough, where the winery is located. With optimal exposure to the sun’s rays in the Wairarapa and ancient alluvial soils, this is a unique terroir, with a very special, natural balance, perfect for growing Pinot Noir. Since 1998, Escarpment Winery has been producing wines in Martinborough from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Created by collaboration between winemaker Tim Bourne and winegrower Rowan Hoskins, both of whom focus on terroir and nature in their work. Their focus is terroir, including Martinborough’s vineyards, which are covered with alluvial gravel, which helps to create wines with great structure, complexity and fruit expression.
New Zealanders have great respect for the country and its history. The winery overlooks the Aorangi Ranges, three hills made famous by Kupe, a great Polynesian voyager who discovered New Zealand according to Maori legends. Kupe left his three canoes, Nga Waka, on top of the hills, giving rise to the district’s now well-known landmark, “Nga Waka-o-Kupe” or three flat-topped hills on top of the area, which resemble upturned canoes.
Te Muna Road, Martinborough, means ‘secret’ or ‘special place’ in Māori, reflecting the special terroir possessed by the Escarpment. Much like the great wines of Burgundy, Escarpment names their best Pinot Noir wines after the vineyards from which the grapes were grown. Single Vineyard Kupe, Pahi, Te Rehua and Kiwa demonstrate the domain’s philosophy with distinctive elegance and complexity.
