Winemaker Notes
This Pinot Noir possesses a complex and attractive spectrum of aromas of red fruits, liqorice, violets,
fresh tobacco, and musk. The palate displays classic Pinot Noir characters of cherry, cola, and cranberry with layers of five spice, cinnamon, and aniseed. The new oak provides some subtle coffee and mocha notes. The primary fruit is enveloped by fine, chalky tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This has a very smooth, bold and attractively fresh feel with a sturdy core of ripe red and dark fruit and a neatly groomed, richly fruited palate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced from the Omaka Valley, Te Pa's 2017 The Reserve Collection Taylor River Pinot Noir features vaguely floral and cedary aromas interlaced with dark plum and black cherry notes. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, marked by a spicy oak component (two of the six barrels were new), with a long, silky finish that hints at cranberries and cinnamon.
Nestled in the heart of Marlborough in the South Island of New Zealand, TE PA FAMILY VINEYARDS is not just a testament to the region's rich viticultural potential—it is a living tribute to a legacy that dates back 800 years. Owned by Haysley MacDonald, te Pa is more than a winery; it's a continuation of a familial saga that began with the earliest Maori settlers in the Wairau Bar. Haysley's ancestry imbues te Pa with a profound sense of place and history that is reflected in each selection of the winery's portfolio.
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.