The Marlborist Pinot Noir 2023 is an elegant, expressive Marlborough Pinot Noir from The Marlborist, a boutique New Zealand producer focused on crafting terroir‑driven wines that showcase the character of the region’s Southern Valleys vineyards. The Marlborist was founded to create wines that reflect Marlborough’s unique climate and soils with precision and balance, partnering with growers of historic sites like Auntsfield Vineyard (Ben Morven Valley) and The Wrekin Vineyard (Brancott Valley) and using careful, minimal‑intervention winemaking to let fruit and place speak clearly. The 2023 vintage is made from 100 % Pinot Noir grapes hand‑harvested over several weeks and gently handled at the winery. A portion of whole‑bunch fruit is included in fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by maturation in seasoned French oak barrels and puncheons for about 11 months to build complexity while preserving freshness and purity. In the glass it offers perfumed aromas of boysenberry, Black Doris plum, lavender and liquorice, underscored by hints of cinnamon‑clove spice and a dry, earthy finish, with finely integrated tannins and vibrant cool‑climate acidity that give structure and length. Critics have noted its ethereal, highly perfumed profile and poised balance of fruit, spice and gentle oak. This Pinot Noir pairs beautifully with herb‑roasted duck, lamb with rosemary, mushroom‑based dishes, pork tenderloin or light game, and also drinks well on its own as a refined evening red. Why we love this wine? We love the spice and earth layered with dark fruit, an alluring Pinot!
