(2023) At the southern end of the North island, Martinborough is New Zealand's original Pinot Noir stronghold. This comes from 20-year-old vines planted on gravels with just 60 metres or so altitude. It spent 11 months in French oak barriques, 22% new. Darker and denser than the Alsace wine, a much meatier aromatic profile, still red fruit here, but more spiced plum, a warm earthiness. In the mouth the wine is more dense, but it has real agility thanks to taut tannins and plenty of cherry and plum skin acidity and dryness offsetting a creamy mouthfeel. A baritone to the Muré's tenor.