Escarpment 2021 Pinot Noir Kupe Martinborough 750ml

Kupe is Escarpment's own flagship statement on New Zealand Pinot Noir — made entirely from the estate's home block on Te Muna Road, first planted in 1999, on the alluvial gravels of the Martinborough Terrace that Escarpment's own team credits with setting "a benchmark for New Zealand Pinot Noir." The 2021 vintage is crafted entirely from the 100% Abel clone, hand-picked over two days, fermented in open-top fermenters using indigenous yeast, hand-plunged once daily across a full 31 days of vat time. Following pressing, the wine aged 19 months in 42% new French oak barriques, then bottled entirely without fining or filtration to preserve a genuinely soft, natural mouthfeel — the work of winemakers Larry McKenna and Tim Bourne, two of the figures most responsible for establishing Martinborough's international reputation.

The critical reception has been genuinely extraordinary. James Suckling awarded 96 Points, describing "a very tannic and crunchy wine" with "cashmere texture," "rather muscular" and "full body," with "fantastic depth of fruit" showing "blackberry with some dried strawberry and orange peel," noting the wine "needs three or four years" to fully come together. Rebecca Gibb's review for Vinous scored the wine 95 Points, calling it "a hugely structured Pinot Noir" with "masses of intensity" and "silken red cherry and plum fruit that just about manage to pull off the tannins," noting it "requires time or a steak," and recommending drinkers "leave on the wine rack until at least 2025." Matthew Jukes scored the wine 19.5+ out of 20 Points.

Escarpment's own official tasting notes describe the wine as "crimson red with a deep dark core," "lifted and fragrant, offering all the grace and poise Pinot can give, with an alluring charm," calling it "both subtle and beguiling, yet bold and brooding," with "a core of dark fruit" showing "dried porcini mushrooms and cured meat that work in harmony with the floral notes and savoury accents" — summed up simply as "the classic iron fist in a velvet glove." Wine Enthusiast's own tasting found the wine "rich and aromatic, with cherry, baking spice and milk chocolate underscored by olive brine and an earthy, mineral core," the palate showing "equal density" while "buoyed by fresh acidity and tugged into place by spicy sinewy tannins." Wine.com's tasting described "resin and clove, alpine mint and tapenade, mulberry, damson and satsuma plum" on the nose, the palate "fleshy, savory and complex, with a ripe, ribald sort of finish." This is genuinely one of the most acclaimed, structurally serious Pinot Noirs coming out of New Zealand — a wine built with real patience in mind, from vines now approaching 25 years of age.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2021 is produced by Escarpment Vineyard in Martinborough, in New Zealand's Wairarapa region, under winemakers Larry McKenna and Tim Bourne. Kupe is made entirely from Escarpment's own home block, first planted in 1999 on Te Muna Road, grown on the alluvial gravels of the Martinborough Terrace.

The 2021 vintage is crafted from 100% Abel clone Pinot Noir, hand-picked over two days, fermented in open-top fermenters using indigenous yeast and hand-plunged once daily for 31 days of total vat time. The wine ages 19 months in 42% new French oak barriques, then bottles without fining or filtration. Bottled at 14% ABV, released July 2023.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 96 Points:
"A very tannic and crunchy wine with cashmere texture and powerful structure. Rather muscular. Full body. Fantastic depth of fruit. Blackberry with some dried strawberry and orange peel. Needs three or four years."

Rebecca Gibb, Vinous — 95 Points:
"The 2021 Kupe is a hugely structured Pinot Noir. In 2021, this wine boasts tiny berries, 50% whole bunches, 28 days on skins and 40% new oak, resulting in a not shy tannic grip. It has masses of intensity with silken red cherry and plum fruit that just about manage to pull off the tannins, but it requires time or a steak. While it has massive substance, the fragrance and freshness carry this wine home. Leave on the wine rack until at least 2025. It'll be better for it."

Matthew Jukes — 19.5+/20 Points

Wine Enthusiast:
"Rich and aromatic, with cherry, baking spice and milk chocolate underscored by olive brine and an earthy, mineral core. The palate shows equal density but it's buoyed by fresh acidity and tugged into place by spicy sinewy tannins. Still young, this could cellar another..."

Wine.com (extended professional tasting note):
"The 2021 Kupe Pinot Noir is, true to form, densely muscular, with a rippling, spicy sort of countenance on the nose. There's resin and clove, alpine mint and tapenade, mulberry, damson and satsuma plum. In the mouth, the wine is fleshy, savory and complex, with a ripe, ribald sort of finish — an uptick to the almost corpulent mid-palate."

Escarpment (official tasting note):
"Crimson red with a deep dark core. Lifted and fragrant, offering all the grace and poise Pinot can give, with an alluring charm. This is a wine that is both subtle and beguiling, yet bold and brooding. It has a core of dark fruit with dried porcini mushrooms and cured meat that work in harmony with the floral notes and savoury accents. It is the classic iron fist in a velvet glove."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Crimson red with a deep dark core. Lifted and fragrant, with blackberry, dried strawberry, and orange peel leading, joined by resin, clove, alpine mint, mulberry, and satsuma plum, alongside dried porcini and cured meat.

Palate
Rather muscular and full-bodied, with cashmere-textured tannins framing silken red cherry and plum fruit, developing cola, jerky, black cherry, and spice, balanced by fresh acidity.

Finish
Powerful and structured, closing ripe and savory — genuinely built for patience, with critics recommending several years of further cellaring to fully soften.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Grilled or roasted steak
• Duck or game
• Mushroom-forward dishes
• Aged, earthy cheeses