Winemaker Notes
A captivating rose-red and crimson in the glass, Alma 2021 is immediately floral, with notes of lavender, peonies, wild strawberries, and ripe, red cherries. Woodsmoke, spice and incense meld into forest berries and rich black plums on a long, savory palate hanging on precise, concentrated, super-fine tannins. A wine of persistence, that overflows with appeal, Alma Pinot Noir 2021 is immediately enjoyable and endless in its enchantment.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fragrant nose of oolong tea, baked strawberries, violet and porcini. Medium- to full-bodied with silky, fine tannins. Seamless and steady with a concentrated fruit core that grounds the palate and a savory character that adds intrigue and complexity. A hint of fig and lavender. Earthy and mineral finish.
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Wine Spectator
Crisp wild berry, currant and raspberry flavors show green tea, white pepper and fresh loamy accents, plus a touch of blood orange juiciness on a sleek frame. Drink now. 1,000 cases made, 200 cases imported.
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 eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.