2012 Kupe Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
The 2012 Kupe Chardonnay is a little youthfully shy at the moment on the nose with delicate citrus and white blossom scents backed up by hints of cedar, lightly buttered toast, chalk dust and almonds. Medium-bodied and tightly knit at this early stage, it gives intense citrus flavors and a great back bone of acid going long and minerally in the finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
(from densely planted 13-year-old vines; aged in 50% new French oak): Good medium red. Stem-influenced aromas of strawberry, spices, pepper, herbs and smoke. Juicy and vibrant, with enticing floral lift and mineral pungency to the raspberry and licorice flavors. The green element gives this wine a slight dry edge and a youthfully unyielding quality but I'd expect it to soften and harmonize with a few years in the cellar and evolve slowly. Quite savory and uncompromisingly dry on the finish, with the peppery, herbal quality carrying through.
Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2012 Kupe Pinot Noir flaunts a nose laced with Provencal herb and violet suggestions over a core of mulberries and red cherries, plus a whiff of anise. Light-bodied and a bit more earthy and savory than the other Pinots, the delicate fruit is framed by lively acid and a low to medium level of grainy tannins before finishing long. Drink it now to 2018+. Importer: Empson USA Inc., Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900; Fax (703) 684-2065
About the producer
Based in Martinborough, Escarpment is one of New Zealand’s leading producers of Pinot Noir. The estate’s top cuvée Kupe is widely regarded as a benchmark example of the region’s potential for producing world-class Pinot Noir.