The 2006 Terroir Series Marlborough Forgotten Valley Pinot Noir has a lifted ripe red cherry nose with wild strawberry and blackberry leaf, all with good definition. The palate is soft and supple with ripe brambly fruit, briery and a touch of boysenberry that is marred by a slightly over-ripe finish. Part of the Pernod-Ricard Group, this large-scale Marlborough-based producer will be known to many as “Montana” except those in the USA where it is marketed as “Brancott” to avoid confusion with the state. This is one of New Zealand’s most successful producers, with 1.4 million cases sold under the Montana name each year (see also Stoneleigh, also owned by Pernod-Ricard.) There are four ranges within their portfolio: the premium wines selected for the “Letter Series,” limited releases under the “Terroir Series,” then the more commercial ranges “Montana Reserves” and “Montana Classics”. Some I would describe as fault-free, dependable, commercial wines that slake the thirst of the masses however, the wines listed here certainly do merit inclusion, their intrinsic quality often equal to boutique wineries.Importer, Allied Domecq Wines, USA, Healdsburg, CA; tel. (707) 433-8268