Pencarrow Pinot Noir 2011
The talented wine scribe Raymond Chan recently tasted a bottle of our 2011 Pencarrow Pinot Noir. This is what he had to say:
The Pencarrow Pinot Noir has upstaged its more prestigious sibling over the last few years. Its success on the wine show circuit has no doubt been a result of the wine’s bold fruity style and reasonable accessibility, the latter attribute a result of less intensive tannin management and the selection of barrels that have the balance for earlier drinking than the ‘Estate’ wine. Winning gold medals and trophies has astounded some critics, but this second label’s consistent performance cannot be denied. Either the criteria for wine show competitions must be changed, or all of the judges sacked!
Teasing aside, the other reasons for the Pencarrow Pinot Noir accomplishments are increasing fruit quality from improving viticulture and the greater availability of high grade fruit. Consumers are not going to question the quality and value pricing, which should be celebrated.
Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2011
Clones 114, 115, 667, 777, Abel and 10/5, all Martinborough, predominantly from company vineyards, the fruit given a cold soak and mostly indigenous yeast fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 17 days on skins and aged 10 months in French oak. Dark, deep, black-hued red colour, lighter on rim. This has a tightly bound, but intense and penetrating nose of ripe black fruits with dark herb and spice notes as well as violet-like florals. Medium-full bodied, the flavours promise to unfold and reveal more with time. There are flavours of black fruits and florals, concentrated and densely packed, and supported by fine-grained, but firm tannins. The oaking is sensitive and the youthful acidity carries the flavours on a long, lingering finish featuring spicy black fruits and hints of liquorice. This is a tightly concentrated, brooding and firmly textured Pinot Noir that needs another year to become accessible. It will then develop for another 4-5+ years. Serve with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean styled red meat dishes
