BUTTERWORTH LAYLINE PINOT NOIR 2020

Butterworth Estate (formally Julicher wines) has been sold and with it the new owners want a fresh start, so out to market goes this delicious Martinborough Pinot Noir at this never to be repeated price! This is a one-off deal with limited stock.

Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"Dense freshly picked raspberry and plum fruit aromas interwoven with cinnamon and cardamon spice with Te Muna’s rose petal overtone. A complex, savoury, mouth filling wine with dense dark fruits and cacao. The tannins are fine boned, yet persistent, combining with the pure line of acidity.

The grapes were hand-harvested and de-stemmed into small open top vats for fermentation. The cap was treated with a punch down once daily through fermentation, with all grapes getting a minimum 20 days on skins. After fermentation finished, the wine was gently pressed and transferred into French oak barrels for maturation. The wine underwent complete malolactic fermentation for 10 months before the wine was racked off solids, blended, and filtered for clarity. No finings were added."

94/100 Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Intense pinot noir with red-fleshed plum, dark cherry, berry, toasted oak, and anise/spice flavours supported by fine, ripe tannins. A benchmark Martinborough wine from what appears to have been an excellent vintage."

5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Gorgeously complex and enticing on the nose with ripe cherry, smoked game, violet and subtle cedar characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate delivering terrific fruit purity combined with seductive savoury nuances. Silky, flowing and delectably appealing. At its best: now to 2030."

5 Stars & 18.5/20 (93) Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Deep, ruby-red, lighter on the rim. This has an elegantly full bouquet, gently concentrated with aromas of plums and dark cherries melded with a hint of savoury, earthy nuance, and sweet spice. Medium-bodied, delicate plums, dark cherries lead the palate with dark roses, cinnamon, cardamom and sweet vanilla, unfolding savoury, earthy soil elements. The palate has concentration, fine-grained tannins extraction coated with a light, silky grip. The fruit flavours are ripe with good balance and integration of acidity. This elegant, harmonious Pinot Noir possesses an immediate appeal of ripe fruit and a silky, spicy palate. Match with lamb koftas and pork stew over the next 5 years. Handpicked, destemmed into open top vats, fermented to 13.5% alc, on skins for a minimum of 20 days, aged in seasoned French oak barrels for 10 months, underwent MLF. No fining. Vegan friendly."

4 ½ Stars Michael Cooper, August 2023 (2020 Vintage)
"Estate-grown at Te Muna, the 2020 vintage was hand-harvested and matured for 10 months in seasoned French oak barrels (avoiding the use of new oak.) Deeply coloured, it is full-bodied, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good concentration, a subtle seasoning of oak, fresh acidity and finely balanced tannins. A youthful, ageworthy red, it should be at its best 2024+."

4 ½ Stars Yvonne Lorkin, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Masses of fresh cherry, cocoa powder and tamarillo aromas greet the nose and the palate is soaked in classic su bois (forest floor), savoury sensations. Fresh acidity and racy tannins elongate the spicy layers which give this wine real finesse and character. Very nicely made, beautiful drinking now, yet built for the long haul."

92/100 David Walker Bell MW, WineFolio.co.nz, July 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"A Martinborough region wine, showing earthy, savoury notes over bold aromatics of dark plum, cherry, walnut and boysenberry. A solid backbone of oak, fine, tea-stained tannins with a little grip, and balanced out by a bright acidity. Makes for a lovely, balanced palate – complex, generous and building in intensity. Layers of roasted middle-eastern spices, dried cranberry and autumn leaves lie over the pulse of fleshy, ripe fruit. Youthful, but already quite smooth and persistant on the finish. A classic regional style, well worth a look."