2017 Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough New Zealand 750 ml

Critical praise for the 2017 Escarpment Pinot Noir has been universal. Acclaimed as “a tightrope walk of elegance and purity, delicacy and power” by Wine Enthusiast in its 93-point review, and swooned over by Wine Spectator for its “raspberry coulis and cherry compote flavors,” this is a Pinot lover’s dream. And at less that you’d pay at the winery itself, it’s also a serious deal.

If you could choose anywhere in the world to grow top-quality Pinot Noir, you’d have a hard time finding a more perfect spot than the land where Escarpment is located. Influenced by both the Huangarua River and the Aorangi Ranges, and just three miles outside the picture-postcard town of Martinborough, these 59 acres are pretty much perfect.

Word is getting out among Pinot obsessives around the world that Escarpment is a producer to keep an eye on…and to buy wines from while prices remain reasonable. Because they might not for long: Year after year, Escarpment lands a coveted spot on Suckling’s Top 100 picks from New Zealand, and Wine Enthusiast has crowned winemaker Larry McKenna the “King of Pinot.” Wine Advocate has called him “one of New Zealand's Pinot Noir gurus.”

We just call him one of our favorites. Which is why we secured this incredible 2017 as a Wine Access exclusive: We wanted our members to have first dibs, before anyone else on this side of the Pacific could snap it up.

McKenna produces a range of Pinots, including several clamored-for single vineyard ones, but this is his calling card, a wine that expresses both the land and his personal vision with particular clarity.

Hand-harvested grapes were gently pressed, and the cap of skins was punched down twice a day for two and a half weeks in order to extract plenty of flavor and texture without overdoing it. The wine was then aged in French oak (25% new), lending it all a silky texture and the subtlest hint of sweet spice, yet still allowing that vivid fruit to shine. Fans of Burgundy will find a familiar sense of clarity and terroir here, and lovers of New World Pinot will discover the exuberance of fruit that they crave.