Satellite Pinot Noir 2018 (New Zealand) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is this lovely Pinot Noir from New Zealand that arrived at the LCBO over the weekend as part of the November 13 LCBO VINTAGES Release.

It is produced by Spy Valley Wines, a winery founded by Bryan and Jan Johnson deep in the Waihopai Valley (one of the Southern Valleys) in the 1990s, at a time when the Marlborough region was undergoing discovery. It was thought that this land was too considered too hard, too dry, and too unfertile for wine, but Bryan and Jan went ahead and planted 180 hectares of estate vineyards anyway. Today, Spy Valley is one of New Zealand's most successful family-run wineries. They are committed to the land and the people who tend it, firmly focused on sustainability to ensure their guardianship of this land for generations to come. Spy Valley was one of the first wineries to be proudly accredited under the New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing program which promotes economically and environmentally sustainable vineyard management.

This Pinot Noir is from Spy Valley's Satellite range of wines - a fruit-driven range that is out of this world, yet within your reach, that shows varietal typicity with balance and poise. It is crafted using fruit from selected estate vineyard blocks, all of which were kept separate until final blending. The grape bunches were mostly destemmed and all fermented naturally in open vats. After gentle plunging the wine was drained into barrels and aged for 11 months prior to blending.

The growing season in 2018 was very warm, with dry weather conditions throughout spring and summer, followed by wet conditions during the autumn harvest period. This was Spy Valley's quickest harvest ever and the Pinot Noir was rapidly picked from the vines between periods of rain. Although the vintage was difficult, quality is good and this Pinot produced great flavours. Let's see how this 2018 Pinot Noir was Marlborough is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

SATELLITE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#12627) (XD) - $22.95
Pretty, pale-medium ruby colour and enclosed by screw cap. Lovely, intense nose of black tea leaf, beetroot, and earth surrounds a core of red berry, strawberry, cherry, and spice aromas. On the light-to-mid weighted and ripe palate it has red fruited, strawberry, cherry, and red plum flavours accented with beetroot, earth, spice. Acids are fresh and well-balanced, while the light, rounded tannins have a pleasant, fine-grained and slightly chalky texture. Juicy with earthy, tangy black cherry, and stony minerals linger on the long, satisfying finish. Highly recommended Pinot! Score: 90 pts

Other lovely wines from Spy Valley Wines are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.