Te Kairanga Estate Pinot Noir 2008

NOTES

"tee-kigh-runga" - where the soil is rich and the food is plentiful, Te Kairanga is one of Martinborough's founding vineyards established over 20 years ago. In keeping with the pioneering spirit surrounding the vineyard, a number of Te Kairanga wines have hailed from Martinborough's history and that of its inhabitants dating back to 1879.

The wine region of Martinborough is located at the foot of New Zealand's North Island at latitude of 40 degrees south. Here, a happy coincidence of geology and geography has created the perfect climate and terrain for Pinot Noir and aromatic wines. The stone-filled river terraces are free-draining while the topsoils vary from slope to slope. The mountains protect us from harsh elements and we enjoy long dry days and cool nights. The vines grow less vigorously in the cool, breezy conditions, so yields are lower and the flavours more intense. Our long dry autumns provide the right balance of warm days (creating ripeness) and cool nights (providing elegance) for producing top quality Pinot Noir and other early-ripening varieties. The results speak for themselves – the Martinborough region is known internationally for consistently producing world-class fine wines.

TASTING NOTES

2006 has been one of Martinborough's best vintages with a classic warm summer and mild autumn through to harvest.  Vine health was excellent and the fruit was harvested at optimal maturity, ripeness and flavour.

Aromas of plums and mocha and lovely floral notes dominate the nose.  There is an underlying spicy/cinnamon complexity already evident at this early stage and will develop savoury, gamey characters with bottle age.  Some silky tannins accentuate the fruit, giving a beautifully integrated wine.