It's been a busy two months on the Martinborough wine scene with launches, tastings, a new brand (Mason) and new releases, including the sixth vintage of Marie Zelie Pinot Noir and new single vineyard Pinot Noirs from Escarpment. Not to mention a private group’s Italian tasting that I was happy the happy recipient of left overs from, thanks to a thoughtful member of the group. This month’s wine news has an unashamed focus on Pinot Noir; the leading grape and wine of both Martinborough and the Wairarapa Wine Region.

First Mason rosé on shop shelves

The Hidden Vineyard is a sunny gem at the southern end of Te Muna Valley and is the new home of Paul and Amy Mason’s new Mason Rosé and, soon, a Pinot Noir. The one hectare site was planted by the late Bill Brink in 2002 in six different clones of Pinot Noir and has had patchy production til now. The Masons plan to build their brand as a go-to wine in this region. “Te Muna Valley typically gets 10% fewer crops than vineyards around Martinborough village,” says Paul Mason, who attributes this to stronger winds in Te Muna. The first Mason wine is the 2024 Mason Hidden Valley Rosé, RRP $36. It’s dry, medium ruby pink, zesty and medium bodied. 

Pinot pioneer retires

If anyone has worked as many consecutive vintages as Roger Parkinson at one winery in Martinborough, let me know. This year marked Parkinson’s 32nd and final year at Nga Waka, the winery he founded and subsequently sold to Jay Short and Peggy Dupey, who announced his successor this month as Paul Mason, long term head winemaker for Martinborough Vineyard.

Escarpment unveils 2022 Pinot Noirs 

I have already written extensively about these wines but it is worth mentioning them in this round up of what's been happening on the Wairarapa wine scene over the past eight weeks. These four iconic Pinot Noirs were released by winemaker Tim Bourne at Escarpment Vineyard in late June and continue to legacy of Kupe, Pahi, Kiwa and Te Rehua, representing the pinnacle of Pinot Noir at Escarpment Vineyard and some of the best made nationwide each year. These wines have been made every year since 2006. This is the third vintage that Bourne has made these wines at Escarpment’s new winery and the first in which three of the four single vineyard wines have been made from vineyards in Te Muna Valley. The 2022 wines are very good quality, particularly the Pahi, despite a tough vintage.

Try this

18.5/20

2022 Escarpment Pahi RRP $85

The third vintage of Pahi from the outstanding vineyard opposite Escarpment winery, which delivers beautifully fragrant, lifted spice and red berry aromas combined with complex deep body underpinned by robust savoury flavours on a lingering finish.  

• The wines featured in this column are available the Martinborough Wine Merchants