Zephyr Pinot Noir 2014
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Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Perfect with Angry Duck from the Bamboo! Or a contrasting dish of smoked eel and buerre blanc covered new potatoes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very neat, tidy and seamless with a supple, smooth and fleshy texture. Plenty of red cherries and hints of Campari-like flavors. Chalky notes to boot. Porcelain-like tannins. Drink now to 2020+.
Other Vintages
2019-
Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Wong
Wilfred
The Zephyr Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are both single vineyards that are certified sustainably farmed (currently in organic transition).
The name Zephyr characterizes the prevailing wind that complements Marlborough’s unique ripening season. Zephyr wines embrace the dynamic spirit of the Glover family and the lively aromatics of the estate vineyards. The Glover family vineyards, planted in 1985 alongside the meandering Opawa River, have inspired the family’s passion for wine.
In 1985, inspired by the pioneering efforts of other Marlborough mavericks, the Glover family converted their Dairy farm in Dillons Point to vine. Being a third generation farming family meant that there was a natural ability to see the potential in the land for vineyards and ultimately the production of world class wine. The family was well aboard what has been described the greatest wine experiment ever.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
An icon and leading region of New Zealand's distinctive style of Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough has a unique terroir, making it ideal for high quality grape production (of many varieties). Despite some common generalizations, which could be fairly justified given that Marlborough is responsible for 90% of New Zealand's Sauvignon blanc production, the wines from this region are actually anything but homogenous. At the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island, the vineyards of Marlborough benefit from well-draining, stony soils, a dry, sunny climate and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night, a phenomenon that supports a perfect balance between berry ripeness and acidity.
The region’s king variety, Sauvignon blanc, is beloved for its pungent, aromatic character with notes of exotic tropical fruit, freshly cut grass and green bell pepper along with a refreshing streak of stony minerality. These wines are made in a wide range of styles, and winemakers take advantage of various clones, vineyard sites, fermentation styles, lees-stirring and aging regimens to differentiate their bottlings, one from one another.
Also produced successfully here are fruit-forward Pinot noirs (especially where soils are clay-rich), elegant Riesling, Pinot gris and Gewürztraminer.