Queen of the pinot
Claudine Earley17/02/2010 11:01:00 a.m.
WINEMAKER Carol Bunn first got into pinot noir while working at Dry River and Martinborough Vineyards in the ‘90s.
Her success with the 2002 vintage at Akarua winery at Bannockburn had her dubbed “Queen of the pinot”. Bunn brings this fine pedigree to her latest enterprise as chief wine guru at Vinpro, the largest Pinot-making facility in Central Otago.
They process up to 1,000 tonnes of grapes per year, 85% of them noir. From here, Bunn works with wineries and the terroir to craft wines full of flavour and complexity, including these from new boutique producer, Tarras Vineyards.
We conducted a blind tasting of Tarras’ current releases to see if we could identify the terroir. My pick of the bunch comes from grapes ripened in a sweltering sheltered area perched high above the Bendigo sheep station. The Canyon Pinot Noir 2007 ($36) is feral and smooth, a mind-blowing mix of densely layered fruit cake, earthy omega plums and herby thyme. You can almost hear the sheep baa-ing.
Some might prefer the more feminine Pinot favoured Tarras’ The Steppes 2008 ($38). We can thank ancient global warming for this tasty cool climate drop. When the glaciers retreated they left behind the terraces on which these vines grow in the Cromwell Basin. Delicate aromas of candy-flossed cherry on the nose, plum and smoky oak on the palate, it makes good summer drinking with or without food.
Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 ($30) is a blend from both Canyon and Steppes vineyards. Its fragrance and firm grip won it 5 stars in Cuisine. One of my panel mixed it with the single vineyard Steppes and came up with his favourite wine of the night. Now, that’s what tasting’s about!
Wine of the week: Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé 2008 ($19) is peachy blush coloured from the juice’s short contact with the skins. It’s one of the lightest I’ve sampled, with just the tiniest touch of raspberry which makes it a thirst-quenching treat on a hot day.
Her success with the 2002 vintage at Akarua winery at Bannockburn had her dubbed “Queen of the pinot”. Bunn brings this fine pedigree to her latest enterprise as chief wine guru at Vinpro, the largest Pinot-making facility in Central Otago.
They process up to 1,000 tonnes of grapes per year, 85% of them noir. From here, Bunn works with wineries and the terroir to craft wines full of flavour and complexity, including these from new boutique producer, Tarras Vineyards.
We conducted a blind tasting of Tarras’ current releases to see if we could identify the terroir. My pick of the bunch comes from grapes ripened in a sweltering sheltered area perched high above the Bendigo sheep station. The Canyon Pinot Noir 2007 ($36) is feral and smooth, a mind-blowing mix of densely layered fruit cake, earthy omega plums and herby thyme. You can almost hear the sheep baa-ing.
Some might prefer the more feminine Pinot favoured Tarras’ The Steppes 2008 ($38). We can thank ancient global warming for this tasty cool climate drop. When the glaciers retreated they left behind the terraces on which these vines grow in the Cromwell Basin. Delicate aromas of candy-flossed cherry on the nose, plum and smoky oak on the palate, it makes good summer drinking with or without food.
Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 ($30) is a blend from both Canyon and Steppes vineyards. Its fragrance and firm grip won it 5 stars in Cuisine. One of my panel mixed it with the single vineyard Steppes and came up with his favourite wine of the night. Now, that’s what tasting’s about!
Wine of the week: Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir Rosé 2008 ($19) is peachy blush coloured from the juice’s short contact with the skins. It’s one of the lightest I’ve sampled, with just the tiniest touch of raspberry which makes it a thirst-quenching treat on a hot day.
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