Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a wine region in New Zealand that is famous for producing high-quality wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The region is located at the southern end of the North Island and is known for its unique climate and soil conditions, which provide ideal growing conditions for a variety of grape varieties.
One of the most famous vineyards in Wairarapa is the Martinborough Vineyard, which is credited with helping to put the region on the map for wine enthusiasts worldwide. The vineyard produces a range of high-quality wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, and is known for its attention to detail in the winemaking process.
Another well-known vineyard in Wairarapa is the Ata Rangi Vineyard, which is particularly famous for its Pinot Noir wines. The estate is known for its sustainable and organic winemaking practices, and its wines are known for their elegance and balance of flavour.
The Palliser Estate is another famous vineyard in Wairarapa, known for its range of high-quality wines, including Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. The estate is known for its attention to detail in the winemaking process, and its wines are characterized by their complex flavours and aromas.
In addition to these famous vineyards, Wairarapa is home to many other wineries that produce exceptional wines. The region is particularly known for its Pinot Noir wines, which are characterized by their elegance, complexity, and depth of flavour.
Wairarapa

Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£595.24 |
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The Real Review (96)Line-priced with the Home Block Pinot Noir, this is a slightly more robust style thanks, perhaps, to more clay-rich soils. It's an elegant pinot noir with cherry, spice, anise, floral, violet, cigar box and fine, stemmy tannins. A little closed at this stage but with the potential to develop well with bottle age. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 100 (RC) |
Inc. VAT
£645.67 |
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Raymond Chan (100)Full, even, black-hued ruby-red with youthful purple tints. The nose is very full with softly concentrated and layered aromas of rich, ripe, dark red berries and cherries along with nuances of dark red plums entwined with fragrant violet florals, fresh herb and spicy detail. The aromatics blossom to reveal notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and minerals. This exudes richness allied to elegance and finesse. Medium-full bodied, vibrantly succulent and lusciously sweet fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe dark plums and fragrant violet florals, dark herbs, spices and red licorice. The flavours are seamlessly mouthfilling and supported by refined, flowery tannin extraction, and enlivened by poised acidity. This has drive, energy and fine linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained, rich finish of spiced cherries and raspberry liqueur. This is a beautifully rich and succulent, elegantly balanced and refined Pinot Noir with seamless-flowing, ripe flavours of dark berry and cherry fruit with complexing floral and herbal detail. Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes over the next 7-10 years. Fruit from the oldest parcels, 40% Abel clone with the remainder clones 5, Dijon and 10/5, indigenous yeast fermented with 25% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 20-26 days on skins and aged 11 months in 35% new French oak barrels. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (WO) |
Inc. VAT
£451.24 |
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Wine Orbit (98)Offering graceful power and immense complexity, the wine shows dark cherry, dark mushroom, floral, fragrant spice and toasted almond characters on the nose with nuances of charcuterie and floral. It’s elegant and sophisticated on the palate with exceptional depth and concentration, seamlessly structured by silky tannins, finishing impressively long and engaging. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£362.44 |
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The Real Review (98)Elegant, seamless pinot noir with fragrant, floral, red rose, dark cherry, anise, spice and restrained savoury and fresh herb characters. It's a complex medley of appealing flavours supported by an ethereal texture and a lingering finish. A surprisingly accessible wine from an excellent vintage. Should develop well with bottle age. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£391.24 |
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The Real Review (98)Concentrated, complex pinot noir with cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, violet, wood smoke and savoury/dried herb flavours. Accessible now but with a proven history of ageing gracefully. Elegant wine with impressive power. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£144.04 |
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Decanter (96)Family-owned winery Craggy Range was founded in 1998 in Hawke’s Bay, and the family has pursued a single-vineyard approach to winemaking. For this wine, grapes are grown on limestone-speckled stony soils in Martinborough. It is fermented in a mixture of oak and stainless steel followed by four months ageing in barrique. Roger Jones: A mellow, yellow wine with buttercups, green herbs and rosemary flowers, a silky purity and freshness. Stunning. Melanie Brown: The perfect collaboration of sweet fruit and vegetal aromas. Grapefruit, elderflower and sweet pea shoots, plus lively acid and purity galore. This is next-level elegant. Rebecca Palmer: Tart lemon-lime and whitecurrant notes with hint of spice. Silky texture, lifted by oak. Spice notes on the finish. |
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Wairarapa | 2 | 98 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£457.24 |
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James Suckling (98)This pinot has an x-factor that sets it apart. There’s an almost peppery edge to the violet, blueberry and red-cherry nose with sappy and earthy elements, as well as roasted game and fragrant baking spices. The palate has a very plush, attractive and fresh array of vibrant and detailed pinot fruit on offer. Long and precise. Drink or hold. Screw cap. |
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Wairarapa | 2 | 96 (TRR) |
Inc. VAT
£307.24 |
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The Real Review (96)Deepish, bright, youthful red/purple colour, with a lovely fragrant bouquet of red and dark cherries, strawberry and rose petals. It's complex and foresty too, but shows more primary fruit and perfume than usual for a young Escarpment pinot. Dried flowers, dried herb, savoury underbrush aromas. Very complex and profound in the mouth, with a very long carry. The tannins are in excellent harmony. An outstanding vintage for this vineyard. (70% whole-bunches) |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£301.24 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£305.09 |
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James Suckling (96)Intensely spicy and perfumed with concentrated notes of purple plums, cherry stones, rosemary, neroli, cloves, cigar box and ground coffee. The tannins are firm and tightly-knit, providing a solid frame to the dark fruit. Sensual and distinctive. Try this from 2024. Screw cap. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 19.5+ (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£379.24 |
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Matthew Jukes (19.5+)I had to wait two hours for this wine to budge in the glass and reveal just a few chapters of its extraordinary flavour. Initially, this is a super-earthy, backward, and introverted Pinot, and if I were on a fly-by-style tasting, I would have marked it down as closed and incommunicative. It certainly needs time, but I am convinced that this is a genuine Grand Cru-level New Zealand Pinot, and I have not tasted many of these in my nearly four decades in wine. While the first taste was firm, unyielding and gruff, second and third visits revealed violets and plums, exotic hints, ravishing bitterness, and then, later, volleys of exquisite fruit and earthy. This is a desperately important wine for Escarpment, Martinborough, and New Zealand and will surely blow peoples’ minds. Just remember to be patient. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 19.5 (MJ) |
Inc. VAT
£290.44 |
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Matthew Jukes (19.5)This is the most expansive Kupe I have tasted (and I am lucky to have tasted every release). Last year’s 2021 was a revelation; this year’s 2022 release is a more refined and distinguished creature. Before you read on, particularly if you are new to these wines, it is essential to understand that these are not heavy wines. As you climb the ladder in other portfolios, you often find yourself wading in a gloopier pool. At Escarpment, you don’t taste heavier wines, just those with Ultra HD, as opposed to regular HD! Like all the Pinots in this collection, the energy and impact of these wines are collectively interwoven to create complexity and resonance. 2022 Kupe sings, not like Brian Blessed, José Carreras, Chris Cornell, or any belter. It is Lennon, Elliott Smith, John Grant and other artisans (the female analogy is better, but I wanted to start with Mr Blessed because I felt a Pinot version of him would be hilarious), and the musicality, penetration, and not volume, coupled with flavour memory (not earworm, but smile-inducing toe-tapping remembrance) is what makes this wine so unique. With 42% new oak for 20 months, which I cannot see for the life of me, and sensational length and complexity, this is another super-star release. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 89+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,027.24 |
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Wine Advocate (89+)Deep garnet-purple in color and replete with aromas of ripe mulberries, black currants and black cherries with suggestions of black pepper, bacon, tree bark and star anise, the medium-bodied 2010 Syrah offers just enough black fruit, savory and spicy flavors in the mouth and is supported by a low to medium level of rounded tannins, perky acid and a finish with good length. Drink it now to 2018+. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (TRR) |
In Bond
£480.00 |
|||||
The Real Review (96)Line-priced with the Home Block Pinot Noir, this is a slightly more robust style thanks, perhaps, to more clay-rich soils. It's an elegant pinot noir with cherry, spice, anise, floral, violet, cigar box and fine, stemmy tannins. A little closed at this stage but with the potential to develop well with bottle age. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 100 (RC) |
In Bond
£506.00 |
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Raymond Chan (100)Full, even, black-hued ruby-red with youthful purple tints. The nose is very full with softly concentrated and layered aromas of rich, ripe, dark red berries and cherries along with nuances of dark red plums entwined with fragrant violet florals, fresh herb and spicy detail. The aromatics blossom to reveal notes of raspberry liqueur, earth and minerals. This exudes richness allied to elegance and finesse. Medium-full bodied, vibrantly succulent and lusciously sweet fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are harmoniously melded with flavours of ripe dark plums and fragrant violet florals, dark herbs, spices and red licorice. The flavours are seamlessly mouthfilling and supported by refined, flowery tannin extraction, and enlivened by poised acidity. This has drive, energy and fine linearity, and the wine carries to a very long and sustained, rich finish of spiced cherries and raspberry liqueur. This is a beautifully rich and succulent, elegantly balanced and refined Pinot Noir with seamless-flowing, ripe flavours of dark berry and cherry fruit with complexing floral and herbal detail. Match with duck, pork, beef and lamb dishes over the next 7-10 years. Fruit from the oldest parcels, 40% Abel clone with the remainder clones 5, Dijon and 10/5, indigenous yeast fermented with 25% whole bunches to 14.0% alc., the wine spending 20-26 days on skins and aged 11 months in 35% new French oak barrels. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (WO) |
In Bond
£360.00 |
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Wine Orbit (98)Offering graceful power and immense complexity, the wine shows dark cherry, dark mushroom, floral, fragrant spice and toasted almond characters on the nose with nuances of charcuterie and floral. It’s elegant and sophisticated on the palate with exceptional depth and concentration, seamlessly structured by silky tannins, finishing impressively long and engaging. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (TRR) |
In Bond
£286.00 |
|||||
The Real Review (98)Elegant, seamless pinot noir with fragrant, floral, red rose, dark cherry, anise, spice and restrained savoury and fresh herb characters. It's a complex medley of appealing flavours supported by an ethereal texture and a lingering finish. A surprisingly accessible wine from an excellent vintage. Should develop well with bottle age. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 98 (TRR) |
In Bond
£310.00 |
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The Real Review (98)Concentrated, complex pinot noir with cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, violet, wood smoke and savoury/dried herb flavours. Accessible now but with a proven history of ageing gracefully. Elegant wine with impressive power. |
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Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (DC) |
In Bond
£104.00 |
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Decanter (96)Family-owned winery Craggy Range was founded in 1998 in Hawke’s Bay, and the family has pursued a single-vineyard approach to winemaking. For this wine, grapes are grown on limestone-speckled stony soils in Martinborough. It is fermented in a mixture of oak and stainless steel followed by four months ageing in barrique. Roger Jones: A mellow, yellow wine with buttercups, green herbs and rosemary flowers, a silky purity and freshness. Stunning. Melanie Brown: The perfect collaboration of sweet fruit and vegetal aromas. Grapefruit, elderflower and sweet pea shoots, plus lively acid and purity galore. This is next-level elegant. Rebecca Palmer: Tart lemon-lime and whitecurrant notes with hint of spice. Silky texture, lifted by oak. Spice notes on the finish. |
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|
Wairarapa | 2 | 98 (JS) |
In Bond
£365.00 |
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James Suckling (98)This pinot has an x-factor that sets it apart. There’s an almost peppery edge to the violet, blueberry and red-cherry nose with sappy and earthy elements, as well as roasted game and fragrant baking spices. The palate has a very plush, attractive and fresh array of vibrant and detailed pinot fruit on offer. Long and precise. Drink or hold. Screw cap. |
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|
Wairarapa | 2 | 96 (TRR) |
In Bond
£240.00 |
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The Real Review (96)Deepish, bright, youthful red/purple colour, with a lovely fragrant bouquet of red and dark cherries, strawberry and rose petals. It's complex and foresty too, but shows more primary fruit and perfume than usual for a young Escarpment pinot. Dried flowers, dried herb, savoury underbrush aromas. Very complex and profound in the mouth, with a very long carry. The tannins are in excellent harmony. An outstanding vintage for this vineyard. (70% whole-bunches) |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£235.00 |
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Wine Advocate (95)The full-bodied, rich 2019 Kupe Pinot Noir is a lovely example of how size doesn't have to mean a loss of elegance. Bold black cherry and plum flavors combine with nuances of cola spice and mocha to yield ample complexity, while the palate is plush and velvety, seamlessly extending through a lingering finish. While delicious now, I expect it will drink well for more than a decade. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£235.00 |
|||||
James Suckling (96)Intensely spicy and perfumed with concentrated notes of purple plums, cherry stones, rosemary, neroli, cloves, cigar box and ground coffee. The tannins are firm and tightly-knit, providing a solid frame to the dark fruit. Sensual and distinctive. Try this from 2024. Screw cap. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 19.5+ (MJ) |
In Bond
£300.00 |
|||||
Matthew Jukes (19.5+)I had to wait two hours for this wine to budge in the glass and reveal just a few chapters of its extraordinary flavour. Initially, this is a super-earthy, backward, and introverted Pinot, and if I were on a fly-by-style tasting, I would have marked it down as closed and incommunicative. It certainly needs time, but I am convinced that this is a genuine Grand Cru-level New Zealand Pinot, and I have not tasted many of these in my nearly four decades in wine. While the first taste was firm, unyielding and gruff, second and third visits revealed violets and plums, exotic hints, ravishing bitterness, and then, later, volleys of exquisite fruit and earthy. This is a desperately important wine for Escarpment, Martinborough, and New Zealand and will surely blow peoples’ minds. Just remember to be patient. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 19.5 (MJ) |
In Bond
£226.00 |
|||||
Matthew Jukes (19.5)This is the most expansive Kupe I have tasted (and I am lucky to have tasted every release). Last year’s 2021 was a revelation; this year’s 2022 release is a more refined and distinguished creature. Before you read on, particularly if you are new to these wines, it is essential to understand that these are not heavy wines. As you climb the ladder in other portfolios, you often find yourself wading in a gloopier pool. At Escarpment, you don’t taste heavier wines, just those with Ultra HD, as opposed to regular HD! Like all the Pinots in this collection, the energy and impact of these wines are collectively interwoven to create complexity and resonance. 2022 Kupe sings, not like Brian Blessed, José Carreras, Chris Cornell, or any belter. It is Lennon, Elliott Smith, John Grant and other artisans (the female analogy is better, but I wanted to start with Mr Blessed because I felt a Pinot version of him would be hilarious), and the musicality, penetration, and not volume, coupled with flavour memory (not earworm, but smile-inducing toe-tapping remembrance) is what makes this wine so unique. With 42% new oak for 20 months, which I cannot see for the life of me, and sensational length and complexity, this is another super-star release. |
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|
Wairarapa | 1 | 89+ (WA) |
In Bond
£840.00 |
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Wine Advocate (89+)Deep garnet-purple in color and replete with aromas of ripe mulberries, black currants and black cherries with suggestions of black pepper, bacon, tree bark and star anise, the medium-bodied 2010 Syrah offers just enough black fruit, savory and spicy flavors in the mouth and is supported by a low to medium level of rounded tannins, perky acid and a finish with good length. Drink it now to 2018+. |