Description
Our philosophy is simply to make single vineyard wines of uncompromised quality. Using only our own Estate Grown fruit, from the best vintages, we place a strong emphasis on the elegant, yet complex characteristics of great pinots. Mike and Margaret Hanson spent a long time searching for the perfect piece of land before finding what is now ‘Hanson Vineyard’ in 1996. They set out to buy five acres but fell in love with thirty, situated on the old river terraces of the Ruakokapatuna River. Over-looking Martinborough’s Te Muna Valley, it is a truly amazing site with a unique terroir and stunning views. Martinborough winemaking pioneer and neighbor Bill Brink was horrified at Mike and Margaret’s plans to plant the entire site in olives, declaring it is a crime to not plant grapes. As a result of his persuasion the site is now home to more than 6000 vines and 1100 olive trees. It produces small quantities of intensely flavoured grapes and top quality olive oil off the elevated and stony soils. The Canoes to the east and Birch Hill to the south provide idyllic views and shelter for the vines, while creating a favourable low-frost climate. The application of sustainable wine growing principles from the start, and now a transition to an organic approach, has helped to nurture and bring out the best in this terroir.
The Elder Pinot Martinborough 2014
The Elder Pinot Tasting Note
The 2014 Elder Pinot Gris is richand and harmonious with aromas of ripe stonefruit and citrus notes on the nose. Made in the Alsatian style, where texture is the key element, this wine shows lovely depth of flavour on the palate, yet remains elegant and well balanced. A small amount of residual sugar (
Wine Seeker Tasting Note
Raymond Chan- Straw-yellow colour with slight golden hues. This has aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits and lifted yellow florals, showing good depth, revealing flinty minerals from the lees work. Quite dry to taste and with good body, weight and presence, the flavours of stonefruits are a little restrained initially, building in concentration forming a rounded core with some alcohol drive. The mouthfeel has an unctuous quality and the wine flows with good freshness and energy with slippery acidity carrying the wine through to a flinty, minerally finish. Restrained and stylish, the gentle flow and balance is a highlight. On this showing, the firmer phenolics have softened beautifully. Lincoln Berrysmith clone fruit from the ‘Hanson’ vineyard, hand-picked, WBP and tank fermented to 13.4% alc. and Score: 17.5/20, May 2015
95 Points – Decanter
