Restrained yet plump, with salted black licorice, stewed plum and notes of date bread, crushed pine needle and malty Assam black tea. Offers firming tannins that pull the flavors back on the finish, but there's plenty here to admire. Drink now through 2029. 600 cases made, 120 cases imported.??–MW??Region: New Zealand / Wairarapa / Martinborough Select to Add

A stunning wine, opening up with fleshy black cherry, pomegranate and blood orange flavors that show perfumed details of green cardamom seed and dried violet. The tannins are dense, but also thick and velvety, giving plenty of traction to the long, expressive finish, where notes of malty Assam black tea and forest floor linger. Drink now through 2032. 300 cases made, 120 cases imported.??–MW??Region: New Zealand / Wairarapa / Martinborough Select to Add

Juicy and vibrant, offering fresh maraschino cherry, wild raspberry and cranberry flavors, with clove, pepper and green tea flavors that linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2036. 50 cases imported.??–MW??Region: New Zealand / Wairarapa / Martinborough Select to Add

The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade.

From close-planted, slightly younger vines than the other single-vineyard bottlings, Escarpment's 2018 Kupe Pinot Noir ratchets up the intensity. Floral, oaky notes complement the whole-bunch aromas, while the berry and black-cherry fruit is crisp and even a bit edgy at this age. Medium to full-bodied, with velvety but plentiful tannins and a long, dusty finish, I expect this wine will benefit from a couple of years' cellaring, then evolve positively for up to a decade after that.