Winning Pinot Noir a Stand-Out for Winemaking Team
Winning Pinot Noir a Stand-Out for Winemaking Team
Image: Richard Briggs Photography
A traditional and hands-off approach in the winery paid off for Tohu winemakers, who came away from the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, with not one but two trophies for their Whenua Awa Pinot Noir 2019.
Tohu Wines Chief Winemaker Bruce Taylor says the wine is a favourite for the team in the winery; the 2019 vintage a standout amongst vertical tastings even now.
“The whole team from the vineyard crew through to the winery put a lot of love and effort into the Araroa and Tohu blocks, where this wine was grown, so it’s pretty awesome to get this recognition,” Bruce says.
“It’s an unfiltered and unfined wine, too, which we think is wholly appropriate for our top Pinot Noir. This approach makes us a bit nervous as well, so there is another level of satisfaction, and relief, to see it doing so well in our local show.”
Bruce and his team won three awards at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, this wine also receiving the Coterie Wine of Provenance trophy, and the Tohu Raiha Reserve Noble Riesling 2016 winning the Barrel Finance & Logistics Champion Sweet Wine trophy.
“We would really like to thank the show organisers, and in particular the sponsors Classic Oak Products who provide us with the excellent Francois Freres barriques which make up the backbone of this wine,” Bruce says.
Classic Oak Products’ Susan Macks was delighted to see two of her long-time clients pick up their trophies this year.
Marisco Wines picked up the Classic Oak Products Champion Pinot Noir, Current Vintage with their Show-winning Marisco Vineyards ‘The King’s Wrath’ Pinot Noir 2021.
“We’re very happy that our Francois Freres barrels are a key part of the trophy winning Pinot Noirs from Marisco and Tohu. Having one winner from long standing family wine company, Marisco, and the other from Iwi owned Tohu Wines, is especially pleasing,” Susan says.
The trophies are a tribute to both very experienced winemaking teams, with whom we have been working a long time. We’ve long been advocates of Marlborough as a premium Pinot Noir producing region, and these two wines are great examples of that.”