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Man On A Mission»
Graeme Melton and a mate were travelling across South Australia in 1973, their EH Holden was in dire need of maintenance and Graeme took up casual work at a passing winery. The site supervisor was Peter Lehmann and young Graeme had his epiphany on the road to Barossa Valley. Lehmann suggested that Graeme change his name to Charlie and take the pilgrimmage to Vallee Rhone. Charlie became prepossessed with the culture of old vines Grenache, Shiraz and Mourverdre. He returned to the Barossa, at a time when old vineyard fruit was made into flagon Port and growers were destroying their historic sites in return for government grants. Charlie emabarked on a crusade to conserve and restore the ancient vines,.. Melton makes a mean mourvedre»
Where The Frankland Flows»
Three British Army officers, in their capacity as agents of the East India Company, established one of Western Australia's first agricultural enterprises in 1836. Named after Captain Richmond Houghton, it was not until Thomas Yule's stewardship that vines were planted and the first vintage of Houghton wine flowed in 1859. Thomas Yule now sources fruit from the eminent Justin Vineyard in Frankland River, a dark ruby Shiraz of lifted liquorice and intense brambleberry, seasoned by piquant pepper notes and supported by showroom tannins. The very elite of Frankland River Shiraz... Artisanal wines of distinguished sites»
Valley Of The Vines»
Hurtle Walker first picked grapes as a ten year old on the celebrious Magill property in 1900. Apprenticed to the legenderies Monsieur Duray and Leon Mazure, Walker was placed in charge of sparkling wine production for the historic Auldana Cellars at the ripe old age of 21. He saw service as a soldier in World War I and made great wine until 1975. Hurtle Walker's grandson continues the family tradition, partnering with Jimmy Watson winner David O'Leary to acquire the most auspicious Clare Valley vineyards and establish one of the nation's leading marques. Between the two, O'Leary and Waker have claimed every prestigious accolade in the land, a breathtaking tally of dozens national Trophies and countless.. The illustrious pair of valley clare»
Thirsting For Thistledown»
Somewhere near the Seaview end of McLaren Vale's Chapel Hill Road, a perfunctory passerine perched her pincers astride a pair of power poles and saw herself alit. Down she went amongst the dry grown branches of an old Grenache vineyard, setting the valuable veterans ablaze. The scorched site eventually came to the attention of a winemaking trio, the Messrs Leske, Tynan & Cooke, Masters of Wine and a venerable vintner, all driven by a consuming passion to make greater Grenache. Thistledown vintage very small amounts of the most extraordinary Grenache. Beautifully detailed and conspicuously elegant, their floral bouquets and graceful finish emulate the aromatic lift and peacock's tail of a prettily.. Polly & the pyre to paradise»

Escarpment Pinot Noir Kupe CONFIRM VINTAGE

Pinot Noir Wellington Martinborough New Zealand
From fruit picked off some of the oldest vineyards in Martinborough, an internationally renowned Pinot Noir appellation. Blessed by superior drainage and cool summers, a combination of slightly heavier soils and bespoke clones on own roots, always render a particularly eloquent Pinot Noir, so very articulate of clime and of place. Escarpment excels at formulating single vineyard wines from their small, but excellent, retinue of sites. Like the best wines of Burgundy, these individualistic editions offer marked differences in character and charm.
Available in cases of 6
Case of 6
$509.50
Escarpment are exemplary wines from special vineyards within Martinborough. The names of the unique vineyard sites and individual Cuvees are also relevant. Legend has it Kupe lead by the stars, voyaged across the ocean to discover Aotearoa. Escarpment celebrates this journey of discovery, an expression of some of the the oldest vines in the district. Fruit is treated to open top ferments in traditional wooden cuvees, hand plunged daily, rack and returned into a high proportion of new French oak barriques for maturation.
Deep scarlet colour. Aromas of ripe red glace fruits and fragrant oak, dark compotes of cherry and of fig, marjoram and violet, scorched chocolate and the vapours of warm, plummy liqueur. Very much an old vine Pinot Noir, presenting a beautifully soft and ripe, pure expression of fruit within an impeccably crafted new world style, will continue to evolve handsomely, a wonderful counterpart to the finest cuisine.
Pinot Noir
501 - 512 of 758
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501 - 512 of 758
«back 10 20 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 60 next»
Escarpment
Situated just 5 kilometres east of Martinborough village, Escarpment's 24 hectares of distinctive alluvial gravel, terraced land stretches out along the banks of the Huangarua River

Overlooking the vineyard are the Aorangi Ranges, the very hills made famous by Kupe the great Polynesian voyager who discovered New Zealand, according to Maori legend. Kupe left his three canoes, Nga Waka, on top of the range, giving rise to the now familiar landmark of the district, the three flat-topped hills on top of the range, which resemble unturned canoes. This warrior and his story provide the inspiration for the vineyard's distinctive brand and logo

Escarpment

Escarpment's aim is simple, to continually produce the very best of tomorrow's definitive New World wines. Complexity, texture and structure are key words and motivators. Under Larry McKenna's leadership the team aims to reward wine lovers with progressive and suggestive wines that encourage them to venture to the edge of wine loving and appreciation. Escarpment Vineyard was established in 1999 as a joint business venture between Robert & Mem Kirby (of Australia's Village Roadshow) and Larry & Sue McKenna. Collectively, these four directors bring to Escarpment a world of experience, skill and understanding to the nurturing and making of fine, deliciously sublime wine.

It goes without saying the impetus behind establishing this vineyard came from the four's deep love for Pinot Noir. Meeting by chance in 1999 through Dr Richard Smith, Larry and Robert quickly hit it off and realised they had more than a love for the grape in common. Serious talk about establishing a definitive New World vineyard began in earnest even then and the idea whose time has come has resulted in one of the most significant vineyard developments in the New Zealand district of Martinborough.

Making the decision to establish their own vineyard was one thing, finding that special piece of land that offered the essential ingredients required for optimal grape growing and wine making was another. Although they considered other wine growing areas in New Zealand, Larry and Sue kept coming back to the Martinborough area. They knew the area intimately having grown grapes there and making wine there for years. They were convinced Martinbrough offered the rich mix of elements they required to grow and make fine New World wine, particularly their pinots.

Escarpment

They soon discovered the Te Muna river terraces across the other side of the hill and knew this was it for them! Basically being an extension of Martinborough's famed terrace land, the Te Muna site offered all the right attributes, with land a-plenty for their purposes. Larry and Sue firmly believe the Te Muna valley is the new future of Martinborough. Evidence for this is seen in the range of new vineyards being established in the area, including much talked about Craggy Range, whose planting alone will double the current output of Martinborough.

A special place and name Te Muna, means secret or special place, and that is exactly how the people at Escarpment feel about the land and what it means to live, grow and make wine there. Deciding the vineyard's name took far more soul searching with ideas bandied about for weeks on end, creating confusion rather than clarity! It wasn't until Robert's brother in law, David Glass, went out walking along the eastern boundary of the property one dusky evening that the inspiration came to him in a flash

Looking out from this point all he could see was the expansive kilometre-long escarpment dropping sharply down to the river for a further 30m (it is so steep it can only just be walked up and such daring activity is certainly not recommended after sampling the spoils of the vines when visiting – take the long route!). And so the idea for Escarpment was conceived. Standing at this point you are treated to the most spectacular views of the surrounding country and it is here the vineyard buildings will eventually rest, soaking in the inspiring vista from dawn to dusk.

Escarpment's varietal selection consists of 70% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Gris, 5% Riesling and 5% Pinot Blanc. While the majority of these grapes are grown on-site, Escarpment also sources grapes from two other local vineyards growers who grow and supply grapes to Escarpment: Station Bush for additional Pinot Gris and Cleland Vineyard for additional Pinot Noir. Escarpment's deep commitment to Pinot Noir is supported by significant plantings of the latest clonal material available on modern rootstocks. Two plant spacings have been utilised to exploit optimal value from the precious soils, while providing significant quality benefits. While these spacings are considered closely planted by New Zealand standards, it is believed greater complexity will be achieved as a result.

Escarpment