Forrest Estate Pinot Noir 2012
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Wine & Spirits
Blended from four areas in Wairau and Awatere, this is a bright, zesty Marlborough pinot with plenty of grip and intensity to its structure. The fruit is purple-black up front, lasting on a garnet-red line of pomegranate fragrance. The soft, tufted texture makes it a soothing match for a Sunday roast.
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Wine Enthusiast
Lithe and silky, this wine boasts fragrant notes of rose petal, beetroot, cherry and cedar, while the long, mouthwatering finish folds in seductive hints of cinnamon.
Leaving behind careers in molecular biology and medicine, John and Brigid returned to Marlborough in 1988 to establish their first vineyard at Renwick - at the heart of the stony Wairau River Valley.
Vintage 1990 saw the first Forrest wine and immediate success with a trophy at the national wine awards - success that has been repeated many times both nationally and internationally over the subsequent vintages.
To the often asked question "why did you do it?" the answer is, a mixture of the wine 'passion' and a desire to achieve and be recognized and rewarded for one's efforts. In hindsight we struck upon a career which suits our personalities - a perfect blend of art and science.
Grape growing and winemaking is an exacting science, however it must have the artistic touch to give the wines 'soul'. That individual expression of style is the trademark of our wines - rich aromatic white wine, and powerfully scented reds - all impeccably structured and a joy to drink.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.