Babich Pinot Noir 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is a lovely, sustainably crafted Pinot Noir from New Zealand that landed at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the May 15, 2021 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

Babich Wines is New Zealand's most experienced family-owned winery as they have been making wine in NZ since 1916. With three generations of winemaking, the Babich family has achieved winemaking excellence with innovation across three winemaking regions - Marlborough, Hawke's Bay, and Auckland.

Josip Babich, who was originally from Dalmatia (now part of modern day Croatia) and emigrated to New Zealand to join his brothers in 1910 at the tender age of 14, began planting vines in remote New Zealand in 1912 in the difficult way - with vision, thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and true craft. In 1916, Josip makes his first New Zealand wines and bottles them under the name Babich Brothers. In 1919, the Babich brothers move to Henderson in West Auckland and planted Pinot Meunier vines. After marriage in 1929, Josip and his wife Mara Grgic have five children, with their son Peter joining the family vineyard 20 years later. Much success led to the extension of the Auckland vineyard and Josip's son, Joseph, joined the family business in 1958.

Babich Wines expanded further in 1984 with the production of wine from the Gimblett Gravels region in Hawke's Bay, followed by wine from Marlborough in 1991. In 1997, Babich lays claim to New Zealand's first sustainably registered vineyard. In 2001, David Babich, Peter's son, becomes the third generation of the Babich family to join the company. In 2013, Babich completed building their brand new Marlborough winery, processing more than 4,000 tonnes of grapes. Josip Babich's hard-working spirit has traversed generations, and with over 100 years of winemaking achievements, experience, and excellence, Babich Wines has 100 small and interesting stories on their website that are worth reading when you have some time.

Sustainability is also a core value at Babich. For three generations, the Babich family has gently worked in harmony and balance with the land and ecosystem, ensuring that the vineyards and processes improve every vintage. Some of these sustainability practices include being careful with water, expanding the use of organic viticulture, using wild fermentations, and reducing waste.

This red wine is part of Babich's classic range of wines that showcase each varietal's regional style with a classic flavour profile and a touch of everyday sophistication. This particular Pinot Noir was hand-crafted using fruit from their estate-owned vineyards in Marlborough, harvested at optimum ripeness, and fermented in open vats. It was aged in a combination of new and used oak barriques for 7 months, then blended to create to final wine. Let's see how this NZ Pinot Noir is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

BABICH PINOT NOIR 2018 - Sustainable, estate bottled, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#216) (XD) - $22.95
Screw cap. The fragrant nose delivers a lovely, complex mix of earthy, beetroot, and raspberry, cherry, and rhubarb flecked with tea leaf notes. It's light-to-mid weighted on the palate with sour black cherry, and raspberry flavours layered over savoury earthy, beetroot, and tea leaf notes, It has fresh acidity, while the light tannins are somewhat chalky textured. Smoky black cherries and tea leaf notes linger on the finish, with very good length. Very enjoyable! Score: 89 pts

Other lovely wines from Babich can be purchased at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Dionysus Wines & Spirits.