Big Sky pinot noir from Martinborough joins red wine gems from Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills, Tumbarumba and California
Five silky pinot noirs from highly regarded regions across Australia, New Zealand and California make up The Australian Wine Club’s deal of the week.
In the big sky country of Te Muna Valley, just outside the tiny village of Martinborough, New Zealand winemaking artisans Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban are producing ethereal pinot noir as nature intended.
Small batches. Hands-on attention. Time-honoured methods. Light touch. It’s an approach that leads to heavenly pinot created by soil, sun, rain, wind – and not much more.
Their philosophy is simple: “Make the best wine we can, with us being involved at every step, not the most wine we can.”
Katherine and Jeremy’s Big Sky Te Muna Road Martinborough 2020 pinot noir heads The Australian Wine Club’s collection of five beauties selected from highly regarded pinot regions across Australia, New Zealand and California.
Pinot noir is the most beguiling of wines, challenging to grow but, when perfected, offering an incomparable taste sensation that melds delicate fruit flavours of red and black cherries with earthy, savoury characters such as mushrooms, spice and roasted meats.
“I just love that umami quality in pinot noir,” Katherine says, referring to the Japanese expression for a taste that balances sweetness with sourness and saltiness.
In Japanese, umami means “essence of deliciousness” – the perfect description for good pinot noir.
Martinborough, about 70 minutes’ drive northeast of Wellington, was the original home of New Zealand pinot, attracting international acclaim for its delicate yet powerful wines in the 1980s before Central Otago’s juicy, fruit-driven style zoomed up the charts.
Katherine, who studied viticulture and winemaking while doing vintages in Bordeaux, and Jeremy, a fourth-generation Kiwi winemaker, were drawn to Te Muna’s cloudless summer days and silvery clear nights and established Big Sky Wines in 2005.
The region’s deep gravels, low rainfall, warm days and cool nights make it ideal for growing pinot noir.
“We have particular cold springs, and the vines have to struggle and work hard to produce small berries,’’ Katherine says. “But those small berries are intense with flavour.”
Katherine and Jeremy also take sustainability seriously, refining their practices through the years to enable their vineyards to be certified organic.
If you are new to pinot but finding yourself enjoying medium-bodied reds – slightly lower in alcohol but still full of flavour – now’s the time to jump into the wide blue yonder. The Californian pinot, which can be added to create a 15-bottle carton, is also a worthy addition.
Big Sky Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2020
Pure, clean and delicious. Heightened aromas of dark cherries, blueberries and violets lead to a concentrated palate, with the intense fruit flavours flecked with a roasted hazelnut character and warm spice. Silky tannins and good structure. Matured in French oak (12.5 per cent new). 14.3 per cent alc; RRP $55 a bottle.
SPECIALS $46.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 in pinot noir dozen.
Loom Long Yarn Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2021
A full-flavoured pinot expression. Red cherry flavours drive the palate, with wild herbs and spices singing along. Heavier palate weight than many pinots; bursting with freshness. A reminder that the Adelaide Hills is among the top echelon of Australian regions for pinot production. 13.5 per cent alc; RRP $40 a bottle.
SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 in pinot noir dozen.
Long Gully Estate Single Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2021
Located in the foothills of the Yarra ranges, Long Gully was established in the early 1980s before being purchased in 2018 by the Magdziarz family and Vin Lopes, who have invested significantly to restore the vineyards and winemaking operation. The 2021 was the first pinot produced purely from the estate’s vineyards. Pristine fruit on the nose – raspberries and cherries – and a savoury waft of bacon. Lovely mouthfeel; tart raspberries and cherries on the palate. Perfectly balanced acidity and soft tannins. A Yarra Valley winery on the rise, well worth getting to know. 13.5 per cent alc; RRP $38 a bottle.
SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 in pinot noir dozen.
Coppabella Single Vineyard Tumbarumba Pinot Noir 2021
From the foothills of the Snowy Mountains comes a cool-climate pinot, with lively aromas of tart raspberries, cherries and cranberries. A light international style with layers of fresh fruit and savouriness. The wine’s high natural acidity would prove a nice foil for a confit duck. 13 per cent alc; RRP $27 a bottle.
SPECIALS $24.99 a bottle in any dozen; $29.99 in pinot noir dozen.
SPECIAL PINOT DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $29.99 a bottle. SAVE $120.
15-BOTTLE SPECIAL Add three bottles of Pescadero Rock Pinot Noir 2020 (RRP $36) for $28.99 a bottle across the 15 bottles. SAVE $153.
Pescadero Rock Pinot Noir 2020
From Californian fruit grown at well-sited vineyards in Lodi and Clarksburg, between San Francisco and Sacramento, comes this juicy pinot offering attractive raspberry, red cherry, mushroom and clove aromas. Lodi is known for producing plush, ripe fruited grapes, while in cooler Clarksburg the grapes retain natural acid and slightly firmer tannins. The blend comes together with a palate that is soft, ripe and round. Subtle tannin and fresh acidity brings through a burst of juicy red fruit. 13.5 per cent alc; RRP $36 a bottle.
Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.
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