2017 Churton Marlborough, The Abyss Pinot Noir

New Zealand's answer to Napa Valley, Marlborough accounted for 47 percent of the country's vines in 2006, despite being home to just 20 percent of the nation’s 530 wineries. Around 76 percent of the vineyards are planted with Sauvignon Blanc. The region is also home to New Zealand’s small sparkling-wine industry, using the traditional method to vinify Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Born and raised in the UK, Sam Weaver became involved in the wine business in London for about ten years before moving to New Zealand. After working as a consultant for many wineries, he and his wife Mandy founded **Churton** in 1997. The name "Churton" comes from the affectionate nickname of the village in Shropshire, England, where Sam grew up. With a background handling fine wines in London (his first job was at Berry Bros. & Rudd!), Sam sought European-style subtlety and expression in wine. To achieve this, he prioritized location above all else. Rather than purchasing flat land in the valley, where over 90% of Marlborough wineries are situated at altitudes of 0-30 meters, he bought land at an elevation of 200 meters with rolling hills. First, he planted Pinot Noir on the highest east-facing slopes, and Sauvignon Blanc on the northeast-facing (southeast in the Southern Hemisphere) hillsides. He believes that it is only on such varied terrain, like that of Burgundy or Champagne, that you can cultivate grapes with rich nuance.

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey ""sous-bois"" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.