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The 2023 vintage in Marlborough turned out to be exceptional, producing grapes and then wine of incredible quality, although it certainly didn’t always look that way. Spring 2022 started with good weather leading to a successful flowering and reasonable bunch numbers. From January onwards the weather was quite mixed, with showers and inconsistent temperatures, however the grapes came through in good order and the last two weeks prior to harvest had perfect conditions for slow, perfect ripening with cool nights and warm days.
This was in many ways a “fluke” wine. Five rows in our premium Pinot Noir block were “missed” during the initial harvest. They were eventually picked four days later than the rest of our Pinot on 23 March 2023. Because they were at one end of the block these “Forgotten Rows” were planted in a single clone, 777. We decided to keep this fruit separate from the rest of our Pinot grapes and wait to see how it turned out. As it happened, it turned out rather good, so we decided to make this unique wine from these few rows.
The bunches were destemmed, and the fruit was cold soaked for five days, before being hand plunged in a small open-top fermenter. It was then transferred to our Rousseau Video and Allegro barrels, 40% of them new. It ended up spending almost 15 months in oak before being bottled on 20 June 2024. Only 268 six packs were produced.
It is verging on translucent crimson and carmine in colour and has an enticing nose displaying herbal, floral, cherry and cinnamon spice notes. On the palate it is deceptively rich and spicy, delicate and complex. Ripe cherries, spices, dried herbs and developing savoury hints all contribute to the silky-smooth mouthfeel. This is a beautifully textured wine with fine grained tannins, refined acid balance and appealing complexity. It lingers beautifully and leaves a very elegant, refined impression with delicate herbal characters. It will continue to develop for many years to come and will gain even greater complexity.
Technical Notes
Alcohol: 12.6% Acidity: 5.2 PH: 3.89 Residual Sugar: 0.
Reviews
Generously fruited with spicy nuances, the fragrant bouquet shows sweet cherry, wild strawberry, fine leather, and toasted nut aromas. It's succulent and fleshy in the mouth, offering a silky texture, backed by layers of polished tannins, which make it structured and pleasingly dry. At its best: now to 2031. ***** 94/100
Sam Kim. Wine Orbit. September 2025