Tasting Report: Martinborough Pinot Noir

The place of Martinborough in the broader story of New Zealand pinot noir is an important one. It’s the region that really put the backbone in place and set solid foundations. It played a pivotal role in leading the way, a role that has endured and remains in place today. 

I wrote about the quality of Martinborough’s 2013 vintage pinot noir wines in a blog post earlier this year and have since returned to do some in-depth tasting. This report brings together a collection of wines from the 2012 and 2013 vintages, comparing a cooler and more challenging year to one of the best on record in 2013.

The climate and shape of the growing season in Martinborough create ideal conditions for growing high quality pinot noir. The rain shadow cast by the Tararua and Rimutaka Mountains is an essential feature of the terroir, as is the large variation between day and night temperatures. 

This is a region that produces the most convincing tannin structure of all pinot growing regions in New Zealand and much of that has to do with the climate. The wines have also proven to age well, gathering concentrated flavours and building noble tannin structures as they slowly ripen. These are two of the most discussed and sought-after attributes among all New Zealand pinot makers, hence Martinborough remains a benchmark of sorts.

The thing about the 2013 Martinborough pinots is that they have immense power, concentration and depth, underpinned by fully ripe tannins. As newcomers, they are supremely convincing wines, they look very complete and they will surely ascend further still. They deliver a sense of immense power with immaculate balance.

The two makers that have come out on top in my tasting report represent deep experience. Their reputations have been built on their pioneering work establishing pinot noir in the region, as well as a proven ability to make consistently great wine. These are Ata Rangi and Escarpment, the latter being Larry McKenna’s second project after his pioneering stint at Martinborough Vineyards.

The other remaining founding vineyard, Dry River, presented a strong wine from 2012 and, following some uncertain years, is hopefully settling into stride once again as one of the leading pinot producers in the region.

And one rising star to track is Cambridge Road. They submitted wines representing a brave, candid approach to the 2013 vintage, there’s a determined vigneron driving this along in Lance Redgewell. Watch this space.

Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com