SPECIAL EDITION PART 1 – THE NEW ESCARPMENT RELEASES
It is such a privilege to be given the opportunity to taste the Escarpment wines and the Torbreck portfolio (these wineries are under the same ownership) each year ahead of their release, and these wines never disappoint. Sitting at both the top of the NZ and Aussie trees, the wines below are essential in any serious cellar. I will fill in stockist details and RRPs when they hit the market. In the meantime, here are my snap thoughts on these wines.
Escarpment Wines Martinborough North Island New Zealand
Congrats to Rowan Hoskins, viticulture manager and Tim Bourne, senior winemaker, on these wines. The 2023s are the first set of wines in which Tim ran the winemaking from start to finish (the previous winemaker, Larry McKenna, started the 2022, with Tim ‘finishing’ the wines only).
2025 Escarpment Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough 13%
This is an outlier, as it is made only in very small quantities, but it is fascinating to see just how individual it is compared to the oceans of innocuous SB made in New Zealand. The overall aura is that of a style reminiscent of the great wines from Michel Redde (Pouilly-sur-Loire) and Cotat (Chavignol, Sancerre), which means I like this wine a lot. With a load of careful, large-format barrel work and plush skins, there is a wondrous intrusion of pumice, chalk, ginger, and spice into the lime and lemon core. And then the white peach and hints of elite patisserie add glamour and decadence. In the end, it is perhaps irrelevant what the variety is because this is a Martinborough, site-specific white wine that translates the soil to the glass via the medium of a white grape, which happens to be Sauvignon Blanc, and I love it. By all accounts, it is a bargain, too, although I’m not sure there is enough stock to make it over to the UK. If it does – grab as much as you can. 18.5/20
2023 Escarpment, Pinot Noir, Martinborough 13.5%
With gorgeous spice and cinnamon on the nose and a sleek, red-fruited palate, this wine is made mainly from declassified single-site wines. In 2023, Te Rehua was not made, which is a critical reason why this vintage’s estate wine is so delicious. With 21 days on skins and a decent amount of whole bunches in the mix, this is a less stemmy wine than in the past, which means it is infinitely more attractive, appealing and juicy. With the use of foudre and only 11 months of oak maturation in total, this is a seriously attractive wine, and it is ready to go on release! It also has sufficient tannins to roll along for a good five years, too. 18/20
2023 Escarpment, Kiwa Pinot Noir, Martinborough 14%
This wine used to come from a Terrace vineyard, and now it is made much closer to home, in keeping with the others along Te Muna Road! The fruit comes from a younger vineyard (15 years old) with multiple clones, and this 2023 is the first expression from this new vineyard. The fruit is so good that it is no surprise that it took its Kiwa name with it. With 30% whole bunches used and 20 months in 500L barrels, of which 30% is new! They held off for a year more cellar age before releasing these wines, as it was clear from the off that this was an outstanding wine. With raw, cleansing, scouring tannins underpinning heavenly, cool cherry and plum fruit and exquisite balance, it’s clear that the future is extraordinarily bright for this new vineyard and the future of Kiwa! 19+/20
2023 Escarpment, Pahi Pinot Noir, Martinborough 14%
Pahi has the deepest soils on the property, and there is also clay here, too, and these traits ensure it is the plushest Pinot in the camp. Accordingly, the depth in this wine is amazing, with more exoticism and flesh; while it is fuller and more resonant, there is a stunning minty/herbal note that brings a sense of coolness to the whole. It is less spicy than the first two wines, and more forward, too! Using 225L barriques, of which 30% are new, there are no whole bunches here, and this ensures the herbal notes are not stem-derived, but site-specific. They use no pumping over here, preferring to gently ‘jug’ the juice over the skins for a sensitive infusion of flavour and no astringency whatsoever. Sexy, pliable and overwhelmingly alluring, this is a thrilling wine. 19/20
2023 Escarpment, Kupe Pinot Noir, Martinborough 14%
Kupe is the mythical god who canoed over from Hawaii and discovered NZ! Pahi is his canoe, and Kiwa the star he followed. And so, this wine is the pinnacle of the portfolio. Spending 40 days on skins, with wild fermentation and 60% whole bunches, this is made from close-planted Abel-clone Pinot Noir from the estate. Lower, shallower soils bring a much nervier, tension-packed wine, loaded with elemental tannins. A graphite skeleton and super-tense palate mean this wine is pulsing with electricity, and the fruit, length and braided-steel palate make this a truly awesome wine. It is near perfect in every respect, and I cannot begin to state just how important this wine is in the story of New Zealand Pinot Noir. 19.5+/20