#WOTW: Make it Marlborough for fruity Pinot Noir
Think New Zealand, think Marlborough, and you tend to think Sauvignon Blanc. Britain is mad for it, with Marlborough Savvy accounting for almost 90% of our Kiwi wine imports. But times are changing…
At the New Zealand annual trade tasting this week, the focus was firmly on the other varieties for which the country is being celebrated: chiefly Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. The latter famously has distinctive ‘regional’ identities, be it Martinborough, Central Otago, or the one enjoying the fastest growth: Marlborough.
Our wine of the week is a delicious example: Jackson Estate 2015 ‘Vintage Widow’ Pinot Noir from Marlborough, at the top of the South Island (£21 online at Ocado or, if you’re in Devon, at Christopher Piper Wines in Ottery St Mary) has recently been awarded a trophy at the prestigious IWSC awards, for which I happen to judge (although not in this category).
With juicy plum and black cherry, a lovely herbal streak, silky tannins and a pinch of spice, this is the perfect partner for some Kiwi lamb chops, or herbed sausages and mash.