Escarpment Pinot Noir Kupe 2022 750ml

The 2022 Kupe Pinot Noir is mouthfilling and complex, with gravitas and weight without being heavy. The splay of tannin in the mouth starts right at the very front and fans out through the long finish. It is the most harmonious and intense of the four single-vineyard wines tasted here today, and while I am seriously attracted to the levity and intrigue of the Kiwa, this Kupe is wonderful for different reasons. There's density, muscle, slow/patient repose and complex nuance in the mouth. It's a great, distinct wine. Sealed under screw cap. Kupe was picked on March 31. The Abel clone was used. It's close-planted (this is the last pick from the close-planted vines, which have now been pulled out). It's on its own roots and planted at a higher density, but it was hit by phylloxera, sadly. The wine was plunged once daily and was on the skins for 30 days. Aging was in 42% new French barriques, with the balance in one- and two-year-old barrels. It was in barrel for 20 months with no racking prior to bottling in December 2023. 14.5% alcohol.

A lovely red, with terrific concentration to the core of raspberry preserves, blood orange and wild strawberry. Offers notes of rosemary, tomato leaf and Earl Grey alongside a hint of white pepper on a plump, velvety frame, with a long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2033.