The Brancott Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 is sourced mainly from 2 Estate vineyards, the Fairhall and Kaituna vineyards (here is a wine where Estate on the label actually means something), along with grapes from the Awatere Estates, all located in the Marlborough growing region on the northern tip of the South Island of New Zealand. This is a wine that should sell for around $10, which is a great price for a Pinot Noir produced from mostly Estate fruit in a quality Pinot growing area. Brancott Estates has an extremely informative website that offers a great deal of detail on its production. Kudos to Brancott for being proud enough of their wines to let the wine drinking public know exactly what they are getting. Too often wine producer websites offer the bare minimum (or less) of information, knowing a bit of the story behind the wine can make it taste better or at least gets me more invested in the wine. This Pinot Noir was aged for 6 months in a mix of stainless steel tanks and oak cuves (an upright large oak tank). The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is a crystal clear, see-thru garnet red. The nose reminds me of an expensive Pinot Noir, delicate with notes of cherry, a hint of smoke, savory mushroom, spice, dried autumn leaves, and a little vanilla. This is lighter bodied Pinot, kind of old school, a nice change of pace from the full-bodied Pinot Noir in this price range from California. It tastes of ripe cherry, tart cranberry, exotic spice, and cigar. The mid-palate shows licorice, vanilla with strawberry, and a slight medicinal sensation. All these flavors and textures are subtle and well-balanced. The acidity will have you smacking your lips, but it is well offset by the body of the wine. This is a wine that will do well with food. The finish is light, complex and lengthy.
The Brancott Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 is a ten-dollar Burgundian-style Pinot that is a joy to drink. I have grown accustomed to the heavier, more fruit forward modern Pinot Noir and this bargain-priced Pinot has reminded me of how cool Old School Pinot is. Subtle, delicate, and complex are adjectives you do not normally use for $10 wine, much less a ten buck Pinot. Good job Brancott Estates.
