Escarpment Pinot Noir 2020

Escarpment is a benchmark Pinot Noir producer in Martinborough, at the southern end of New Zealand's Wairarapa, working prized sites on Te Muna Road. Pinot Noir is the house variety, grown on old river terraces of free-draining gravel over clay that keep yields low and concentrate the fruit. Martinborough has a cool maritime climate with warm dry days and cold nights, and that wide temperature swing ripens the thin-skinned Pinot while holding its bright acidity and developing savoury, earthy complexity rather than simple jammy fruit. The 2020 is matured in oak barrels, where slow oxygen exchange softens the tannins and adds a frame of spice and a touch of smoke without covering the fruit. It is a deep ruby, showing dark cherry, raspberry and plum, an earthy, forest-floor depth, light pepper and a whiff of smoke. The palate is medium to full bodied, fresh and structured, with fine, supple tannin and a long savoury finish. Serve at 15 to 16 degrees, in a wide glass. It is a fine match for duck, game birds and earthy dishes.