te Pa Reserve Westhaven Pinot Noir 2021

Reviews & Accolades

Cameron Douglas MS: 95/100.  New, ripe, fresh, vibrant, savoury and varietal bouquet. Aromas and flavours of black currant and cherry, some dried herbs of sage and rosemary, barrel spices and wood smoke showing some clove and wood layers then a dry stone earthy quality. Tannins layer in a firmness and mealy texture, acidity pulls all the components together. A youthful texture wine with a flinty quality, plenty of complexity and raw charm. Decant or cellar with best drinking from mid to late 2025 through 2031+.

Decanter: 93/100. Tasted by: Anne Krebiehl MW, Justin Knock MW, Dirceu Vianna Junior MW. Forest fruit and red berry on the nose, well-defined and focused. Lovely juicy fruit that is accompanied by a sophisticated, silky structure. Heightened fruit, fine freshness and supple tannins. Just a flicker of heat on the finish. Very well done. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2030.

New Zealand International Wine Show 2023: Gold.

Tasting Note

This Pinot Noir possesses a complex and attractive spectrum of aromas of red fruits, liquorice, violets, fresh tobacco, and musk. The palate displays classic Pinot Noir characters of cherry, cola, and cranberry with layers of five spice, cinnamon, and aniseed. The new oak provides some subtle coffee and mocha notes. The primary fruit is enveloped by fine, chalky tannins.

Aromas and flavours:

Additional information

Type: red wine

Grape varial: 100% Pinot Noir

Food match: Lamb, venison, beef, pork, nutty cheeses, mushroom dishes

Vineyard: Westhaven Vineyard, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand. The Westhaven Vineyard is situated in the Dashwood Pass near the entrance to the Awatere Valley. The soils of this north facing slope consist of rich clays. This low cropping vineyard is pruned to two canes and is planted in the four classic Dijon clones 115, 114, 667 and 777.

Winemaking: This wine is a six-barrel selection of the best barrels out of the premium hand-picked batches from the Westhaven Vineyard. Two small batches of Westhaven Pinot Noir stood out in 2021. One was clone 667 fermented with 30% whole bunches, and the other was 777 fruit with 15% whole bunch, The blend was an even mix of the two batches to give 22%, whole bunch and two new barrels were picked to give 33% new oak. The wine was matured for 15 months in barrel, before being racked to tank, settled, and bottled without fining or filtration.

Alcohol: 14.5% vol

Residual sugar: <1 g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Cellaring potential: 2029+

Closure: Screwcap

Produced and bottled by: te Pa Family Vineyards Ltd, 515 Wairau Bar Road, R.D.3, Blenheim Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand