Blank Canvas Escaroth Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019

Escaroth is a site that truly reflects vintage variation: this year's release simply ticks all the boxes for Pinot Noir fanatics. It has a beguiling, complex perfume that treads both red and blue fruit and an enchanting spice, game and earthy savouriness. The very low-yielding year (3.2 t/ha) coupled with the dry-farmed nature of the site has resulted in incredible concentration and intensity. 2019 was a year that demanded the use of whole-bunch to ensure balanced extraction and lifted aromatics. The result is a very complex, savoury Pinot Noir with a structured yet elegant tannin framework.

Escaroth is a unique north-facing, sloped, dry-farmed site in the middle of the Taylor Pass. Vines were planted in 2001, and rare in Marlborough, it is established without irrigation. It has the biggest diurnal range in all of Marlborough and is frequently drier than other sub-regions. The north-facing slope is therefore essential for frost protection as well as exposure for ripening. The low-vigour old clay soils are perfect for Pinot Noir. The total Pinot Noir area is just under 1 ha and is planted to Dijon clones 777 and 115. The vineyard is spur-pruned and VSP trained.

We think Pinot Noir is one of Marlborough’s most eminent varieties. Matt’s time spent in Europe has given him the best of both worlds: he learnt from the regions with centuries of knowledge pertaining to this enigmatic, magical grape and has combined it with Marlborough’s innate ability to produce blockbuster, perfumed aromatics in an elegant but serious Pinot Noir framework. The handpicked bunches were cold-soaked for 5 days before undergoing spontaneous fermentation by natural yeasts. We hand-plunged the wine during its ferment which included 50% whole clusters. The wine was pressed to French oak barriques, all of low-toast level (35% proportion new) for 12 months, with a further 3 months in tank to gently and naturally settle. Unfiltered.

12 months in French oak (35% new), followed by three months in tank on light lees prior to bottling without filtration.