Taka K 'Pearson Estate' Pinot Noir 2022

Accolades:
93/100 – Bob Campbell MW

“Elegant, gently aromatic, high energy pinot noir with plum, floral/violet, black cherry, and fresh herb flavours. Supple. youthful wine that can be appreciated now but should develop well with a few years’ bottle age.” – Bob Campbell MW

Tasting Note: This wine is quite aromatic and fruity with nice acidity backbone. Crimson colour with ruby going to a brick red hue. It is a soft and rounded wine with aroma of sweet red berry fruits and red cherries. This is a wine for easy drinking whilst having classic Pinot Noir flavours, the tannins are soft and well rounded. This wine is suitable for mild flavoured foods or drinking by itself. Aged in French Oak barrels for 18 months. No fining or filtration is applied.

Winemaking Notes: The grapes were sourced from Gravel Soil Vineyard located western side of Waipara Valley. The vines were planted in 2004 by Mr. and Mrs. Pearson, mixture clones of UCD5, Dijon 115, Dijon 667, Dijon 777 and 10/5. Free draining stony soil brings rich aroma for the wines. Vertical Shoot Positioned Trellis is used to train vines. Grapes were hand harvested into small picking bins, and sorted again in the winery before fermentation. Fermented in open top 1.7t vats for about 20 days with hand plunging during fermentation.

Alcohol: 13.8%

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Waipara Valley, North Canterbury, New Zealand

ABOUT THE PRODUCER:

A STUDY IN WAIPARA REGIONALITY

When Takahiro Koyama, owner winemaker of Taka K Wines came to New Zealand in 2003, it was to study Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University. He was offered to work with CP Lin at Mountford Estate as a cellar hand while he was a student at Lincoln.

During his time at Mountford, Takahiro went overseas several times to experience different winemaking. First it was Weingut Keller in Rheinhessen, Germany in 2006 (Riesling) and then it was Au Bon Climat in Central Coast California in 2007 and 2008 (Pinot Noir/Chardonnay plus other varieties).

Taka K Wines is Takahiro’s own label, and it is represented by the ouroboros – an ancient symbol of a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, signifying rebirth or renewal.

Taka K wines are produced in tiny quantities using Organic practices at every level. They reflect the variety and particularity of the very special Waipara Valley soil types and vineyard sitings.