2000 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir Winery: Martinborough Vineyard Vintage: 2000 Region: Wairarapa NZ Bottle Size: 750ml Variety: Pinot Noir Price: $75.00 (out of stock)

TASTING NOTE:

Brambly, earthy with smoky oak notes. Full bodied with good concentration. Lovely savoury tannins make for lovely texture. Starting to age gracefully. One of my favourites.

2001

FOOD SUGGESTION

Aged Beef, Cheeses.

Brambly, earthy with smoky oak notes. Full bodied with good concentration. Lovely savoury tannins make for lovely texture. Starting to age gracefully. One of my favourites (from the winemakers notes – Vertical tasting Nov 2005)

Michael Cooper
Classic Wines of New Zealand - Second Edition
2005

*****

Full ruby, moderately developed.  Very graceful and supple, with a core of sweet fruit, fresh acidity and strong, plummy, spicy, nutty flavours.  Lasting finish.

The Boston Globe
26 February 2003

An acknowledged leader in pinot noir, Martinborough Vineyards crafts an exoctically flavoured, lush wine full of fruit and attractive smoky elements.  Its plushness makes it hard to resist.

Nicholas Bryant
The National Business Review - March 2002

…it really is fantastic stuff, from its spicy, violet nose to its rich stewed plums, tar and black pepper on the palate. The flavours are long, intense and the structure is, yes, seamless.

A wine like this serves as quite a warning to newcomers that the big guns of Martinborough take no prisoners.

Michael Cooper, Brent Marris, Michelle Richardson
Winestate - March/April 2002

***** A very complete wine in the classic regional style. Full-bodied, with cherryish, spicy flavours, savoury and complex, and ripe, supple tannins. Velvety texture and great length.

The Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Journal Nov/Dec 2001

Mid red-purple; considered the best wine of the tasting, this NZ Pinot has aromatic lift with plenty of clean cherry and plum fruit, supported by very stylish oak. A wine of excellent balance and length, the palate is sweet and round, offering fresh, fleshy, spicy flavours and good tannins. Finishes with persistent flavours and clean acid.

Sydney International Wine Competition 2002
Trophy Wine – Chairman of Judges Perpetual Trophy

Paul White
Spicy, complex. A very layered, interesting wine. Lots of nuances. Sweet fruit, cherry essence. Maraschino cherry. Delicious wine. The succulence of the fruit comes through on the palate. The texture was another feature of this wine. Lovely, silky texture with sweet fruit.

Huon Hooke
Complex, cherry and earthy barnyard aromatics. Sweet alcohol. Lovely, velvety texture on the palate. Gamy, barnyard Pinot flavours. A very rich but very elegant wine. With food it is superb. It really sings.

Kym Milne
Earthy, smoky aromas over red fruits. Savoury, silky, velvety texture. Great, open knit, bright fruit with juicy acidity. This wine has forward drive and refreshed itself.

Stephen Bennett
North and South – November 2001

****1/2 - This is the wine that started all the fuss in this region and while the price has certainly risen sharply over recent vintages it remains a front runner. The fantastic aroma of stewed fruit with alluring smoky / spicy notes and soft, supple texture capture pinot’s appeal perfectly.

Lester Jesberg
Winewise – Volume 17 Number 4 – October 2001

The aromas of this wine are totally seductive, perfumed dark cherry characteristics being enhanced by a faint gamy hint. The palate of this very well creafter wine long, fine and silky. Delicious drinking now, but it will definitely age well.

Peter Hellman
Wall Street Journal – February 2002

A plummy wine, textured and complex. This winery has been producing and refining pinot noir since the 1970s and it shows.

Sue Courtney (NZ)
November 2001

Full of cherries and plums with savoury notes, charry oak and a dry backbone. This wine needs time to integrate and open up..

Bright cherry coloured. Lovely ripe bright fruit, sweet and lifted with floral spice, cherry, a touch of earthiness. It is looking very good. Very long finish. Velvety texture. Gorgeous array of fruit and complexities in excellent balance. Nothing too dominant at all. Concentrated and rich with a long fulfilling finish. A star!