Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir from Marlborough that focuses on depth rather than fruit sweetness: The Single Vineyard Taylors Pass 2021 from Villa Maria comes from a single site and shows how serious Pinot Noir from New Zealand can be.

Villa Maria was founded in 1961 by Sir George Fistonich and is now one of the country's most famous wineries. In the Single Vineyard series, the house bottles wines from individual sites separately. This way, the signature of the location remains recognizable in the glass.

The nose reveals tobacco, dark chocolate, and violets, along with ripe dark berries. On the palate, the dry wine is medium- to full-bodied, and the tannins are fine and lean. They provide structure without becoming heavy.

It tastes best at 16–18 °C. It pairs with duck breast with mushrooms, rack of lamb with rosemary, or aged hard cheese. It also goes well with a Sunday roast with the family.