The wine opens with fresh summer berries in an elegant vintage. Add to this forest floor, subtle spices, and saline notes that enhance the complexity of the aroma. The fresh berries continue on the palate with ripe cranberries, fresh cherries, and strawberries, creating a light, vibrant, and crisp freshness. Soft, fine-grained tannins weave in, adding texture and balance.
91 POINTS
James Suckling
91 POINTS
The Real Review
Produced using traditional techniques from grapes grown in Martinborough. The fruit was destemmed into open fermenters and fermented using indigenous wild yeast. After an average maceration time of 20 days, the wine was pressed off and aged predominantly in older French barriques for 10 months. Bottled without fining or filtration.
About Escarpment
Escarpment Winery focuses on producing wines with 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 edge of a plateau,” reflecting the unique landscape of Martinborough, where the vineyard is located. With optimal exposure to the sun’s rays in Wairarapa and ancient alluvial soils, this is a unique terroir with a distinct 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 through the collaboration between winemaker Tim Bourne and viticulturist Rowan Hoskins, both of whom focus on terroir and nature in their work. Their emphasis is on terroir, particularly Martinborough’s vineyards, which are covered in alluvial gravel that helps create wines with impressive structure, complexity, and fruit expression.
New Zealanders have great respect for the land and its history. From the vineyard, there is a view of the Aorangi Ranges, three hills made famous by Kupe, a great Polynesian navigator who, according to Māori legends, discovered New Zealand. Kupe left his three canoes, Nga Waka, on top of the hills, giving rise to the district’s well-known landmark, “Nga Waka-o-Kupe”—three flat-topped hills resembling upturned canoes.
Te Muna Road, Martinborough, means ‘secret’ or ‘special place’ in Māori, reflecting the unique terroir that Escarpment possesses. Much like the great wines of Burgundy, Escarpment names its finest Pinot Noir wines after the vineyards from which the grapes were grown. The Single Vineyard wines—Kupe, Pahi, Te Rehua, and Kiwa—demonstrate the estate’s philosophy of distinctive elegance and complexity.
