2016 Te Mania Pinot Noir
$22.95 btl / $275.40 cs (case of 12 x 750ml)
An elegant red perfect for the transitioning season. The 2016 Te Mania Pinot Noir is certified organic, vegan friendly (no animal-derived fining agents used), and can certainly be enjoyed young but will benefit from a little cellaring allowing it to develop more complexity. Lovely lifted nose with red fruit and mocha notes combined with savoury and spicy aromas. The palate is full of red cherries and raspberries along with savoury, gamey flavours with hints of leather balanced with elegant tannins which adds complexity to this wine and delivers a long finish. This Pinot will continue to develop complexity over the next couple of years.
Not an easy grape to grow, Pinot Noir is the red wine grape of Burgundy and is the second most widely planted and picked grape variety in New Zealand, predominantly grown in the cooler southerly wine regions. Te Mania is a family-owned, award winning Nelson winery located near the beautiful coastline of Tasman Bay. The vineyards flourish on the ancient alluvial terraces through which rivers flow from the mountains to the sea. These stony soils, combined with Nelson’s cool maritime climate and high sunshine hours, produce grapes and wines of the finest quality.
A range of Pinot Noir clones were hand harvested then crushed and put into open tanks and fermented with wild and inoculated yeasts. The fermenting wine and skins were hand plunged for 8–10 days. After ferment the wine was left on skins for 14 to 19 days before being pressed, settled and racked to tank. The wine was then aged in French oak barrels for 10 months.
Price: Case of 12 at $275.40 ($22.95 per bottle)
Drink: Now or over the next 3 years
Blend/Body: 100% Pinot Noir, Medium-bodied
Food Pairing: Roast chicken or quail, honey-glazed salmon, garlic rubbed pork shoulder, mushroom pasta or risotto
Third Party Reviews:
“The attractively fragrant bouquet shows ripe strawberry, mixed spice, cured meat and dried herb characters. It is smooth and gentle on the palate, displaying delicate fruit intensity and fine tannins. The wine nicely combines sweet berry flavours with earthy, savoury notes.”
4 stars (out of 5) Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2017