Steve Bennett, Lynette Hudson | October 2022
New Zealand Wine Rater By Steve Bennett & Lynette Hudson
October 12th 2022
Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2020
97 Points
Complex, powerful and expansive on the nose with seductive, brooding aromas of black cherry and damson plum, dark chocolate, tar, fire embers and burnt caramel oak. This is a serious, concentrated wine with unctuous fruit, layers of rich tannins and incredible length. It needs more bottle age but with airtime, it is simply wonderful.
Escarpment Kiwa Pinot Noir 2020
94 Points
Voluminous, complex, savoury, vinous wine on the nose with aromas of dark chocolate, mushroom pie, black liquorice and a strong oak influence at this youthful stage with notes of milky coffee and toasty vanilla. Full-flavoured, savoury and concentrated but with a serious framework of saturated, chewy tannins. A superb wine but one that will need a long time to integrate fully.
Escarpment Te Rehua Pinot Noir 2020
96 Points
An intense, complex, layered bouquet that nods towards Burgundy as a benchmark. There's a lot of savoury smoky oak at this youthful stage but with air in the glass heady aromas of black cherry, centurion roses, coffee grinds and bacon fat emerge. Massively structured, concentrated and dramatically tannic but with a core of opulent fruit and superb length. It will be important to give this wine the bottle age it deserves.
Escarpment Pahi Pinot Noir 2020
95 Points
Opulent, complex, fragrant nose with heady aromas of black cherry stone, raspberry ripple ice cream, Jamón Ibérico, seaweed, bacon fat and smoky, vanilla new oak. Lush and plush with layers of ripe fruit and rich, savoury saturated tannins. Pushing the boundaries with such high levels of extraction and lots of oak calls for several years in the cellar.
Escarpment Martinborough Pinot Noir 2020
94 Points
Heady, potent youthful nose with aromas of plums, dark cherry, molasses, cocoa, mocha, roast beetroot and chary cedar oak. A massive, powerful, full-bodied, tannin-saturated wine that knocks your socks off and needs time to soften and integrate.
