Looking back at the seasonal notes of the 2020 vintage the repeating theme is `typical’. Temperature, rainfall and yields were all we could hope for in an ideal season in Martinborough. It was a pleasure to harvest clean, impeccable fruit that truly expressed each site’s unique character. This is the inaugural release of our Masters Pinot Noir. Owned and farmed by Ata Rangi winemaker Helen Masters and her family, this vineyard was established in 2002, four km south of the Martinborough Terrace. Here the alluvial gravels are mixed with clay, which acts to retain moisture keeping the soils cooler than the more gravel dominant sites around Martinborough village. A full effusive nose with aromas of mulberry, baking spices, star anise and rosewater mingle with blood orange. The aromas carry through on the palate with flavours of pomegranate, nutmeg and pink peppercorn. The clay brings a deeper timbre to this single site Pinot Noir, with the expanse of texture being a central theme in this wine. Fine tannins buoyed by supple acidity spread the full length of the palate, fresh and elegant, this wine has a clear and unique voice of place.
