Blank Canvas Escaroth Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018

Blank Canvas Escaroth Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018French oak Red cherry & pomegranate Peony & violets Velvety mouthfeel "A single vineyard expression presenting a complex, pure, intriguing and perfumed bouquet. Light red berry fruits, red apple skin and scents of place with aromas of fine silty clay and sand minerals then complexity from judicious use of oak with light brown kitchen spices followed by aromas of mild toasty barrel and savoury dried herb layer. Equally complex on the palate, tense and

• French oak
• Red cherry & pomegranate
• Peony & violets
• Velvety mouthfeel

"A single vineyard expression presenting a complex, pure, intriguing and perfumed bouquet. Light red berry fruits, red apple skin and scents of place with aromas of fine silty clay and sand minerals then complexity from judicious use of oak with light brown kitchen spices followed by aromas of mild toasty barrel and savoury dried herb layer. Equally complex on the palate, tense and youthful with firm textures and velvet mouthfeel from tannins and acidity. Savoury with a core of fruit and flavours that reflect the bouquet. A fine wine with power and finesse, complexity and length. Best drinking from 2022 through 2030" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, May 2021

"From the Escaroth vineyard just south of Blenheim. Light in colour but not lacking in charm or power. An elegant wine with cherry, spice, dried herb, bramble and nutty oak flavours. Accessible now but should develop well with bottle age" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Apr 2021

The 2018 vintage is true to vineyard and vintage, producing a bewildering fragrance of peony and violets, red cherry and pomegranate overlaid with a smoky, flinty savouriness. It is a site that truly reflects vintage variation with this release displaying the perfume and delicacy of the year, whilst retaining its innate muscular tannin structure that ensures it will age even better than Keith Richards. The low-yielding, dry-farmed site gives intensity and enables the use of high degree of whole-bunch fermentation, adding further complexity and structure.

2018 was brought in on a wave of warm, dry Summer thanks to La Nina conditions with marturity tracking 2-3 weeks ahead of normal. Late Summer and into the harvest period featured significant rain events however which delayed ripening. For Pinot Noir region-wide it meant more fragrant, aromatic wines, lighter incolour but not short in structure. Sorting in the vineyard and at the winery was essential to ensure urity and finesse.

Escaroth vineyard is a unique north-facing, sloped, dry-farmed site in the middle of the Taylor Pass. Vines were planted in 2001, and particularly rare for Marlborough, it is dry-farmed, without irrigation. The Taylor Pass has the biggest diurnal range in all of Marlborough and is often the driest sub-region. The north-facing slope is essential for frost protection as well as exposure for ripening. The low-vigour old clay soils are perfect for Pinot Noir. The total Pinot Noir area is just under on hectare and is planted to Dijon clones 777 and 115. The vineyard is spur-pruned and VSP trained.

The Escaroth Pinot Noir was hand-harvested on the 27th March 2018. 50% whole cluster proportion was used in open-tank fermenter with the balance crushed over the top. The fruit was kept cool until natural fermentation commenced after five days. The tank was hand-plunged throughout its 14-day fermentation period after which the winemakers drained and pressed the wine to barrel where it completed natural malolactic fermentation. The oak regime was 100% French oak barriques, all of low-toast level (35% new) for 12 months, with a further 3 months in tank to gently and naturally settle. The wine was bottled without filtration on the 19th June 2019.