Palliser Estate Pencarrow Pinot Noir 2020

Palliser is one of New Zealand’s premier wine brands, from Martinborough, Wairarapa. They were one of the mavericks who gambled on taking farmland and turning it into vineyards. They describe themselves as ‘a small but committed bunch’, more like a family than a business, with an ethos of caring for each other, their land and their community.

As well as a range of wines made under the Palliser brand, they also make their ‘Pencarrow’ range, named after the lighthouse which sits at the end of Palliser Bay at the entrance to Wellington Harbour.

The philosophy at Palliser is to produce exceptional wines that have a strong sense of place, reflecting not only their sites and the seasons, an approach which is founded on their strong commitment to growing organically.

The grapes for this wine were sourced from several selected vineyards, including the Winery Vineyard, Pinnacles, East Base, and Clouston. The blend comprises various Pinot Noir clones, each contributing unique characteristics to the final wine. The grapes were hand-harvested in March 2020. Fermentation commenced with a combination of wild (indigenous) yeasts, to enhance complexity and express the vineyard's terroir. A portion of whole clusters was included in the fermentation process, contributing to the wine's structure and aromatic profile. The wine matured for 10 months in French oak barrels, with 25% being new oak, before the wine was bottled in February 2022.