Fragrant and robust, this red combines power and finesse, with an overwhelming amount of detail. Flavors of black pepper, mahogany, hops, sandalwood, blackberry and plum are joined by accents of Earl Grey tea, cedar and baking spices. The tannins have plenty of muscle, but there's an amazing sense of harmony and polish on the long, intricate finish. Drink now through 2033. 250 cases made, 50 cases imported.??–MW??Region: New Zealand / Wairarapa / Martinborough Select to Add

Also made from fruit sourced from a single vineyard in town that was planted in mid-1980s, the 2011 Kiwa Pinot Noir is a medium ruby-purple color and gives lovely red fruits, red cherry and cranberry notes laced with floral and mineral notes. This medium-bodied wine is a delicate, more savory and earthy style with low to medium levels of grainy tannins, a vibrant acid backbone and a long, mineral finish. Drink it now to 2019+. Larry McKenna is a man of vision and hard graft, and these attributes show in his very impressive wines. Originally from Australia, he left Roseworthy College in South Australia in 1976 and never looked back. Pinot must have got under his skin when he hit New Zealand, where spent he spent 13 years building the quality and reputation of Martinborough Vineyard’s Pinot before striking out for the then-undeveloped “Upper Terraces” off Te Muna Road in 1999, where he established a vineyard and also developed his own ground-breaking style from unique vineyards on the town’s escarpment. The Kupe Vineyard in particular has incredible promise and potential, densely planted to Able Clone (NZ’s “gum boot” clone, which is thought to have originated from DRC) on the Te Muna site. McKenna also makes some very good single vineyard expressions from vineyards on the terrace in the town, naming the wines after the vineyards: Kiwa, Pahi and Te Rehua. Importer: Empson USA Inc., Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900; Fax (703) 684-2065