Grown in Marlborough's Southern Valleys, Jules' preference is for Pinot Noir full of bright fruit, juicy acidity, and with a soft tannin structure. "It's not a big bolshy red," she explains, "Marlborough Pinot Noir is about sexiness."
Tasting Notes:
• Grown in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys
• Style shaped by season, not focused on heavy extraction.
• Bright fruit, soft tannins, a touch of elegant earthiness and oak.
PINOT NOIR - A LABOUR OF LOVE.
Jules Taylor talks about what Marlborough Pinot Noir should taste like to her:
FOOD MATCH
This wine pairs beautifully with appetisers such as a charcuterie plate, or a platter of homemade seeded crackers and smoky eggplant dip.
For something more substantial, try it with pulled pork sliders served with kimchi and slaw or a slow cooked lamb leg on a cooler day.
Get the recipe
For something more substantial, try it with pulled pork sliders served with kimchi and slaw or a slow cooked lamb leg on a cooler day.
AROMA & FLAVOUR
Intense aromas of ripe cherries and boysenberries sit alongside notes of dark chocolate and layered over just a hint of spicy, earthiness. It is an intense mouthful full of juicy boysenberry, cherry and dark chocolate flavours and with a weighty texture on the palate. It has loads of supple, fine tannins and the finish is long, spicy and delicious, suggesting a wine that will develop nicely over the coming years.
WINEMAKERS NOTES
Tricky to work with, yet well suited to Marlborough's Southern Valley, clay soil, hillside vineyards, Jules loves an ethereal, perfumed Pinot Noir rather than a fruit-bomb.
Raspberries | Violets | Subtle earth | Earl Grey Tea
Picked 13-26th March 2024
13.55% Alc | 0.6g/L RS | 3.63 pH | 5.29g/L TA
HARVEST & WINEMAKING
The grapes for this Pinot Noir were grown in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. This year, berries were hand-harvested in mid March when the flavours were tasting to Jules’ liking. The grapes were then whisked to the winery where most of the fruit was de-stemmed into small open top fermenters. The must was left for 5-10 days to “cold soak” with a small percentage of whole bunches to accentuate the delicate perfumed aromas and bright colour in the wine. The must was then warmed and gently plunged by hand to keep the cap moist and extract a good balance of colour and tannins while the wild yeasts got to work with the fermentation. Upon reaching dryness, it was pressed gently into French oak barrels for maturation. After a full malolactic fermentation in spring, the wine was bottled in March.
Is this wine vegan friendly?
No. Unlike Jules' white and rose wines, Jules likes to use a small amount of egg white at the end of fermentatation to soften the tannins, so this one isn't vegan.
Does this wine see any oak?
Yes, after fermentation, it's pressed into French oak barrels for maturation. This allows the tannins in the wine to soften and is where the wine picks up its notes of chocolate and spice.
Is this a light or full-bodied Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir is a lighter red wine than some other varieties, and this example is medium-bodied for NZ Pinot Noirs. Jules takes fruit from Marlborough's Southern Valleys which gives good flavour concentration and structure, but her preferred style is more "elegant" than "fruit bomb".
Does this wine use whole-bunch fermentation?
Partially - a small percentage of whole bunches is included during fermentation, which helps lift the wine's perfume and brighten its colour.
How long will this wine cellar for?
It's already drinking beautifully, but reviewers agree it will develop further if you like your Pinot with a bit of age. Cameron Douglas MS puts it at its best from 2026 through to 2033+ and Stephen Wong MW suggests giving it "a year or two to meld"... if you can wait that long!
