August 2019 Releases: 2015 Big Sky Te Muna Road & Te Kairanga John Martin 2017

August 2019 Releases This month we have two fantastic Pinot Noirs from Martinborough in New Zealand. Martinborough has long been one of my favourite regions for Pinot Noir since the early releases from Martinborough Vineyard, who planted the first Pinot Noir vines in Martinborough back in 1980. In a quest to make the highest quality Pinot Noir, Martinborough Vineyard founders conducted a DSIR survey to reveal the closest New Zealand climactic analog to Burgundy, the birthplace of Pinot Noir. The survey determined the optimal location was within a small rain shadow centered on the township of Martinborough. These two wines exhibit all the wonderful characters that Martinborough is famous for. 2015 Big Sky Te Muna Road Pinot Noir $48 This is Big Sky’s flagship wine, from their low vigour, low cropping vineyard, made by viticulture and wine making team, Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban. Hand picked, crushed into 2 tonne open fermenters, hand plunged, and judicious use of new oak in ageing. We make it to show off the delicious Te Muna fruit characters –  ripe berryfruit, dark cherries and plums –set against mouth filling savoriness, warm spice, and silky tannins.  Lithe and elegant. Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir 2017 $45 Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir 2017 has been named Best in Show with 97 Points at Decanter Magazine’s World Wine Awards 2019 in London. Best in Show is the ultimate accolade at the show across all categories and regions. The Decanter World Wine Awards is the world’s largest and most prestigious wine competition, judged by top wine experts from around the world. The competition is respected internationally as an unrivalled source of wine recommendations. “This award comes as a culmination of a six-year revitalisation of the winery and vineyards under Foley Wines’ ownership,” said Te Kairanga Chief Winemaker, John Kavanagh. “We consider it the highest accolade – it’s a great moment for Te Kairanga and for Martinborough.” A pioneer of Pinot Noir in New Zealand, Martinborough is a small region home to some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the country. An hour and a half north of Wellington, the region’s specific combination of soil and climate is unique in the world, and produces very individual Pinot Noirs. Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir is the reserve wine of the winery and is sourced exclusively from vineyards on the prized Martinborough Terrace, surrounding the Martinborough township. “We aim for the wines to be individual but very true to the Martinborough terroir. Very attentive, gentle handling in the winery and minimal intervention are central to helping the fruit and textural expression of these vineyards come through.” “Our purpose is always to make wines that people love to drink – finessed wines of balance, texture and generous fruit. Each wine conveys a sense of time and place,” said Kavanagh. This wine is named after the founder and namesake of Martinborough, John Martin, with grapes for this wine being sourced from vineyards on his original land holdings. Also in May, Te Kairanga John Martin Pinot Noir 2017 was recognised by Fine Wines of New Zealand – a definitive list of New Zealand’s best wines and wineries, showcasing provenance, consistency, excellence in winemaking, and demonstrated evolution of fine wine production.