2021 Kōparepare Marlborough Pinot Noir
$27.00
TASTING NOTE
Kōparepare (gift or contribution in Te Reo Māori) is a passion project from Whitehaven Wines. For every bottle sold, we donate to LegaSea, a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring marine abundance in NZ.
Colour / Appearance: Light ruby with bright clarity.
Aroma / Bouquet: Aromatic red cherry and baking spice notes, with a subtle hint of dried thyme, aniseed and mocha adding intrigue.
Palate: This lighter-bodied wine has varietal flavours of red summer fruits, cinnamon spice, and hints of cocoa. The palate is elegantly framed with silky smooth tannins and a refreshing, clean finish.
Cellaring: Best enjoyed young, although it does have the potential to age for 2-3 years if carefully cellared.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
Residual Sugar: Dry
Acidity: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.74
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
Climate: 2021 will be remembered as a season of two halves. The early part of the growing season was marked by two severe frost burn events which affected much of the region to varying degrees. This was followed by variable cool and wet weather through flowering, resulting in fewer berries setting per bunch, further reducing crops after the frost damage. Post Christmas however, we could not have asked for a better season. The weather remained warm, but not hot, and we had beautiful diurnal shift leading into harvest, retaining freshness and energy in the fruit, and providing the perfect conditions for flavour development.
Grape Growing: Fruit for this wine was sourced predominantly from our Little Alfred vineyard (Omaka Valley, Marlborough). The vines were trained to 2-cane VSP, and throughout the growing season shoot thinning, leaf plucking, and crop thinning were used to achieve balanced vines and an open, healthy canopy. The fruit was exceptionally clean, allowing the winemakers to pick at optimal ripeness.
Harvest Dates: Multiple harvest dates from 6th - 26th March 2021.
Winemaking: At the winery the fruit was de-stemmed and loaded into various open-top fermenters. A mix of wild and commercial yeast strains were used to ferment this wine. Following pressing off we matured this wine in French barriques (25% new), for around 10 months. After this time, we emptied the barrels and let the wine sit on light lees before filtration. The wine was finally bottled on the 2nd of March, 2022.
ACCOLADES
- GOLD - 2024 National Wine Awards of Aotearoa
- "Attractively fruited with savoury nuances, the wine shows dark cherry, sweet plum, floral, thyme, and nutmeg aromas on the nose. The palate delivers juicy fruit flavours with supple texture and polished tannins, finishing lingering and pleasingly dry." 91/100 points (4.5 stars) - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
- "Doris plum, redcurrant, and tinned strawberry are layered with fresh herbs and subtle spice aromas. The palate is vibrant and polished, red-fruit-driven, with toasted baking spices and gentle, ripe tannins adding depth. Effortlessly smooth and well-integrated, it’s drinking beautifully now. Perfect for sunny afternoons with friends - full of flavour and fantastic value." 91/100 Points (4.5 stars) - The Wine Writer
- “Moderately deep crimson, slightly lighter on the rim. This has an herbaceous bouquet with aromas of cherry, strawberry, thyme and undergrowth. Medium-light bodied, aromas of cherry and raspberry entwined with strawberry, nutmeg, thyme and forest floor. The fruit is enticing with enlivening acidity, flows effortlessly on supple tannin, and has a silky mouthfeel, unfolding hints of rosehip and lending an elegant finish. This Pinot Noir is elegant and well-balanced with delicate details. Match with pork and duck over the next 3 years.” 90/100 Points (4 stars) - Candice Chow
