2023 Palliser Estate Pencarrow Pinot Noir, Martinborough

Palliser Estate has been making the case for Martinborough since the 1980s. Known for producing elegant wines with a distinct sense of place, Palliser has long been one of the region’s benchmark estates. The vineyards have been under full organic management from 2025, and chief winemaker Guy McMaster approaches the vineyards and the winemaking as parts of one philosophy: look after the land and it looks after you.

The Pencarrow wines offer a genuine taste of Martinborough at an approachable price —crafted with the same care as Palliser's estate wines but intended for early enjoyment. The 2023 blend of the Pinot Noir is built around fruit from the Pencarrow vineyard, complemented by a Woolshed vineyard parcel and smaller amounts from the Pinnacles. A period of cold soak preceded predominantly wild fermentation with gentle pump-overs and plunging, before pressing to oak barrels for 10 months of maturation through malolactic fermentation.

The 2023 is the accessible, earlier-drinking expression of what Martinborough does well — bright and aromatic, with sweetheart cherry, Japanese plum, raspberry and a waft of clover hay on the nose, with hints of leather and charcuterie adding savoury interest. The palate is light to medium-bodied, silky and seamless, with fine tannins and a fresh, clean finish.

Roasted quail with lentils and herbs; seared tuna with a ponzu dressing and daikon; or a simple charcuterie with cornichons and good sourdough. The wine's bright red fruit and fine structure are at their best with food that lets the delicacy do the talking.

This is a wine that's better on the table tonight than in the rack next year.