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Marlborough Pinot Noir

Our Black Label range is crafted specifically to complement food. This Pinot Noir is warm and soft in style with delicately textured tannins. A dark fruited and spicy wine, with great persistence, offering sweet cherry and raspberry notes with a hint of nutmeg.

TASTING NOTES

Dark fruits, plum and cherry with brambly red notes also. Cedar and vanilla also.

Cocoa, red and black forest berries and dried herbs. Notes of earth and plum also. Fine, coating tannins, medium weight and mouth filling. Juicy finish.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats and fermented with minimal plunging of the cap. The wine was left on skins after ferment to assist tannin integration. After months maturing in barrel the wines were blended, lightly fined and bottled.

Ideal with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

TASTING NOTES

Dark cherry, cedar and spice aromas with fresh herbs and nutmeg. Expansive palate with great volume and medium weight. Pretty and sweet cherry notes with raspberry and juicy acidity. Savoury notes of leather and earth. Soft and fine tannin add textural interest. Warm with a hint of resin on the finish.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats and fermented with minimal plunging of the cap. The wine was left on skins after ferment to assist tannin integration. After months maturing in barrel the wines were blended, lightly fined and bottled.

Ideal with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

93 POINTS - Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com
TROPHY & GOLD MEDAL - Shanghai International Wine Challenge 2022

"Dark ruby with purple hues and a pink rim. Aromas of dark berries and plum and boysenberries then dark cherry and scents of toasty oak with sweet vanilla, clove and smoke. Flavours repeat on the palate surrounded by a firm texture and acidity with a chalky mouthfeel. A fine mealy dry finish, youthful complexity and with flavours of toasty barrel, baking spices and dark berries. An excellent wine ready for drinking from late 2022 through 2028." - 93 POINTS - Cameron Douglas MS, www.camdouglasms.com
"Sweet cherry and raspberry juice make the taste rich, soft. Delicate tannins create a pleasant texture." - SILVER MEDAL - Korea Wine & Spirits Competition 2023

TASTING NOTES

Aromas of plums and violets with a hint of wood smoke and nutmeg. Plush and fruitful entry coalesces into raspberry, plum and cherry. Sweet white spices and complexing herb and liquorice notes. Cinnamon lingers on finish.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats and fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. The wine was left on skins after ferment to assist integration. After time to mature (10 months) the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled.

Ideal with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

TASTING NOTES

Raspberry and red cherry aromas, with mushroom, sage and a hint of chocolate. Plum, leather and sweet earthy notes mingle with garden herbs and ripe red and black fruits. The tannins are silky and the acid, juicy. A sweetly lingering finish.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats and fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. The wine was left on skins after ferment to assist integration then moved to 225L oak barrels, (25% new), to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 7 -10 months.

Ideal with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

TASTING NOTES

Sweetly perfumed with ripe strawberry, raspberry and a hint of glazed cherry. Chocolate and earthy notes too with a hint of cedar. Generous mouthfeel with flavours of plum and red fruits. Medium weight, good length, and some fine grained tannins adding density to the finish. Pretty and poised.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats and fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. The wine was left on skins after ferment to assist integration then moved to 225L oak barrels, (25% new), to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 7 months. After that the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled.

Ideal with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

SILVER MEDAL - Global Pinot Noir Masters 2019
SILVER MEDAL - Korea Wine Challenge 2019
4 STARS - Winestate Magazine, Sept/Oct issue 2019

TASTING NOTES

The aroma has a floral lift, sweet dark notes with a hint of caramel, dried herbs and wood smoke. Sweet red brambles and liquorice /chocolate notes on entry. Complexity further develops with mushroom, nutmeg and cherry apparent. Soft and silken with balance and length.

The grapes were crushed to open top vats, fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. After a period on skins post primary ferment the wine was moved to oak barriques (25% new) to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 10 months. After that the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled.

This award winning wine goes well with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, and also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

GOLD MEDAL - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2018
SILVER OUTSTANDING - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2018
91 POINTS - James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com, Oct 2018
4.5 STARS - Winestate Magazine - July 2018

"A strong thread of savory spice aromas frame a central, red-cherry theme with forest-floor notes. The palate has a fluid, lithe and gently grainy feel, delivering chalky tannins to the finish and a lasting, red-cherry impression."
91 POINTS - James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com, Oct 2018

TASTING NOTES

Dark cherry and red fruits with gentle oak lead the nose with perfumed spice and mineral backing up. The medium weighted palate is immediately sweet fruited and then opens out revealing a generous mid-palate with cherry again. Strawberry, forest fruits, earth and savoury/herb notes can also be found. Supple and lingering.

The fruit was harvested in excellent condition from our Cowslip Valley Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley (80%) and our Headwaters Vineyard near Renwick in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley (20%). The grapes were crushed to open top vats and, following a period of cold soaking, fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. After a period on skins post primary ferment the wine was moved to 225L oak barriques to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 11 months. After that the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled in mid March.

This award winning wine goes well with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, and also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

GOLD MEDAL - Sydney International Wine Competition 2018
GOLD MEDAL - Seoul International Wine Competition 2017
GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Awards 2017
GOLD MEDAL - Marlborough Wine Show 2017
90 POINTS - Jamessuckling.com
4 STAR - BEST BUY - Cuisine Magazine, Apr 2018
SILVER MEDAL - 91 POINTS, Decanter Asia Wine Awards 2017
SILVER MEDAL - International Cool Climate Wine Show 2017
SILVER MEDAL - International Wine Challenge 2017
SILVER MEDAL - Texsom International Wine Awards 2018
4.5 STARS - Winestate Magazine Nov/Dec issue 2017

"Moderately deep ruby-red colour with youthful purple hues, lighter on the rim.  The nose has moderately deep aromas of dark-red cherry and berry fruit along with notes of dark herbs, a little liquorice and soft oak and reductive nuances.  Medium-full bodied has a rich core of dark cherry and raspberry fruit flavours unveiling spice, herb and liquorice elements.  Subtle red florals and reductive elements emerge as the wine carries along a lively, energetic, grainy-textured line.  The acidity leads the palate to a long juicy finish balanced by the tannin textures.  This is a moderately rich Pinot Noir with cherry and raspberry flavours along with herb, liquorice and reductive notes on a grainy-textured palate enlivened by fresh acidity."
- Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, April 2017

"With plenty of oak in here, this makes a real statement on first impression. Then comes some meaty charcuterie ferment-derived aromas and a swathe of dark cherry fruits. The palate has attractive fleshy appeal. Oak rides high here, too. Red berry fruit holds into the finish."
90 POINTS - www.Jamessuckling.com

"Bright youthful aromas of plum and berry, this is a pretty pinot that sits firmly in the red fruited spectrum. A touch of dried thyme and rosemary, a real core of fruit sweetness with crisp acidity and a moderately long finish. Still quite closed but very promising."
4.5 STARS - Winestate Magazine, Nov/Dec 2017 issue

TASTING NOTES

A spicy hit with dark sweet undertones. The palate has sweet fruits and dark earthy elements concentrated and focused with viscosity and volume. Cocoa lingers on.

The fruit was harvested in excellent condition from our Cowslip Valley Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley (80%) and our Headwaters Vineyard near Renwick in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley (20%). The grapes were crushed in open top vats and, following a period of cold soaking, fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. After a period on skins post primary ferment, the wine was moved to 225L oak barriques to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 10 months. After that the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled in mid-March.

This award winning wine goes well with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, and also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

GOLD MEDAL - New York World Wine & Spirits Competition 2016
SILVER MEDAL - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2016
BLUE GOLD MEDAL - Sydney International Wine Competition 2017
TOP 100 - Sydney International Wine Competition 2017
DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL - WSWA 74th Annual Convention and Exposition Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition 2017
BEST IN SHOW - WSWA 74th Annual Convention and Exposition Wine & Spirits Tasting Competition 2017
92 POINTS - Blue Lifestyle, www.bluelifestyle.com 2017

"Dark-hearted ruby-red colour with lighter garnet on the rim. The nose is full and soft with ethereal red berry fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries entwined with red florals and nuances of dark herbs at the core. Layers of oak spices and liquorice emerge in the glass. Medium-bodied, the palate features spicy dark-red berry and cherry fruit flavours along with notes of red liquorice, framed by grainy tannin extraction and grip. Integrated acidity lies in the background, and the softness allows the extraction to fill the mouth, lending a dry-textured line. However, the fruit core of red cherries and liquorice carry the wine to a long, spicy, sinewy finish. This is a spicy red cherry and berry fruited Pinot Noir with plenty of grainy extraction and a sinewy finish."
4 STARS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz, July 2016

"Sold principally in restaurants, the 2015 vintage was grown in the Waihopai and Wairau valleys and mostly handled in tanks; 15 per cent of the blend spent four months in old oak. A mouth-filling, fleshy wine, it has rich, ripe peach, pear and spice flavours, a hint of almonds, and a balanced, dry finish."
4 STARS - Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's 2017 Buyers Guide

"Creamy and smooth, with vanilla bean, spice and cedar accents to the berry flavors, which have a slight candied edge and a hint of orange zest."
88 POINTS - Wine Spectator, www.winespectator.com  2017

TASTING NOTES

A spicy hit with dark sweet undertones. The palate has sweet fruits and dark earthy elements concentrated and focused with viscosity and volume. Cocoa lingers on.

The fruit was harvested in excellent condition from our Cowslip Valley Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley (80%) and our Headwaters Vineyard near Renwick in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley (20%). The grapes were crushed in open top vats and, following a period of cold soaking, fermented with frequent plunging of the cap. After a period on skins post primary ferment, the wine was moved to 225L oak barriques to undergo malolactic fermentation and mature for 10 months. After that the wine was blended, lightly fined and bottled in mid-March.

This award winning wine goes well with a stir-fry of cubed lamb and eggplant, and also makes a good partner for a steak and mushroom pie.

GOLD MEDAL - China Wine & Spirits Awards 2015
GOLD MEDAL - 92 POINTS - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2015
4.5 STARS - Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, TheShout NZ/HospitalityBusiness Magazine, June issue 2015
4.5 STARS, 90 POINTS -Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, May 2015
SILVER MEDAL - International Wine & Spirit Competition 2015
SILVER MEDAL - Marlborough Wine show 2015
90 POINTS - Wine Spectator Magazine, Oct 31, 2015
4 STARS, 18/20 POINTS -Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinerviews.co.nz, Jan 2016
SILVER MEDAL - San Francisco International Wine Competition 2016

"Lots of warm brown spice laced red fruits with ripe cherry and raspberry combinations; medium+ oak influences. On the palate – dry, fresh, firm, youthful and packed with flavour both fruit and oak lead; medium+ acidity and lots of tannins with finer moments; medium+ finish, balanced and well made."
4.5 STARS -Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, TheShout NZ/HospitalityBusiness Magazine, June issue 2015

"Soothing and comforting, this immediately appealing pinot shows complex aromas of cherry, plum, nutmeg and floral with a touch of dried herb complexity. The palate is ripe, rounded and beautifully weighted, and offers elegant mouthfeel and silky texture."
4.5 STARS 90 POINTS - Sam Kim, www.wineorbit.co.nz, May 2015

"Perfumed and lively, with a core of mouthwatering, perfectly ripe raspberry flavours and a touch of cherry.  Cherry cola, hibiscus, red licorice and floral overtones add to the complexity, leading to a long, lingering finish."
90 POINTS - Wine Spectator Magazine,  Oct 31, 2015

"Yes, Marlborough does grow other types of grapes, even red ones.  Easy cherry smells with a hint of spice, smoke and flowers.  Sweet and sour black cherry palate, finishing with juicy raspberry and quite silky as it goes down.  A little nervy with youth but could handle a venison burger perfectly."
8.5/10 - Regan Drew, Queensland Times, 24th Oct 2015

"Bright ruby-red colour with some depth, lighter on the edge.  The nose is elegantly full with gentle, lifted aromatics of red florals and red cherry and berry fruit, unfolding violet fragrances entwined with savoury herbs and pepper.  This builds in volume, unveiling hints of cedary and toasty oak.  Medium-bodied, the fruit is bright, sweet and aromatic with ripe flavours of dark red cherry and berry fruit and lifted floral elements.  The palate features a fine core with very fine-grained tannin extract and integrated acidity which enlivens the fruit sweetness.  As the wine flows, cedary and toasty oak nuances unfold and combine with the fragrant fruit leading to a long, dry finish.  This is an elegantly structured, fine-textured, aromatic Pinot Noir with cherry-ish fruit and cedary oak suggestions.  Match with grilled and roasted duck or pork, and with Asian fare over the next 4 years.  Fruit from 80% ‘Cowslip Valley’, Waihopai and 20% ‘Headwaters’, near Renwick, given a cold soak and fermented to 13.5% alc, the wine aged 10 months in barriques."
4 STARS 18/20 POINTS - Raymond Chan, www.raymondchanwinerviews.co.nz, Jan 2016

"Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Babich Black Label Pinot Noir exudes red plum, mulberry and black cherry aromas with underlying notes of violets and dark chocolate.  Light to medium-bodied, it packs a lot of juicy fruit into an elegant package with a good frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with very good persistence."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, www.erobertparker.com, #224, Apr 2016

"Well-built, with solid structure, precise ripeness and layers of flavour. Medium-bodied, it suggests jammy berries lifted by juicy acidity and baking spices, with an earthy underpinning and solid tannic grip. Versatile at the table and suitable for grilled salmon, roast poultry as well as roasted red meats. Available in Ontario."
90 POINTS - The Globe and Mail, Beppi Crosariol, Jan 24 2017