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| Julicher Estate's vineyards are situated in Te Muna Valley. (Image: Julicher.) |
Wine review
4 of 5
stars
A very good
wine
Fitting for
Pinot Noir, the colour is ruby red and medium, or even pale, in intensity.
Although this wine is still quite young, there is a slight garnet tint on the
rim. Delightful multiple layers of aromas open up on the nose: floral,
perfumatic aromas as well as dried plums accompany red and black cherries. Subtle
nuances of conserved cherries and cherry jam are detectable. New French oak has
been used for 25% of the wine for 11 months, which gives clear yet elegant
accent of vanilla, coffee and chocolate to this wine. After some aeriation time
in the glass layers of attractive, developed tones appear: leather, mushrooms,
even truffles. The conserved and jammy fruit elements could refer to a warm
growth period. On the other hand, floral aromas are still beautifully
detectable.
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| Julicher Pinot Noir 2011 has a beautiful colour. |
High in
acidity, this wine is very “Pinot Noirish” on the first strike. Further, the
tannins are light, velvety and fine-grained. The story of multifaceted aromatic
elegance continues on the palate: now there are flowers, chocolate and earthy
minerality on the foreground. However, the medium-bodied mouthfeel appears
somewhat heavy and wide due to relatively high alcohol. Although high alcohol
slightly challenges the balance, nuanced aromas and fruitiness are just enough to
keep up with it, while the crisp acidity keeps the wine’s head held high
structurally. Ending with an aromatic and long finish, Julicher Pinot Noir 2011
exits with elegance.
Intriguing
and complex, this wine is a high quality example of a new world Pinot Noir.
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| A glass of deliciousness was poured at Bar Latva, Helsinki. |
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Info in a nutshell
Price
examples:
EUR 9,90
per glass, EUR 58 per bottle, Bar Latva, Helsinki, Finland
EUR 199,20
per 6 bottles (EUR 33 per bottle) wine and liquor store Alko, Finland
Country and
region: New Zealand, Martinborough
Grape:
Pinot Noir 100%
Alc vol:
13,5%
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| Julicher's winemaker Outi Jakovirta is from Finland. (Image: Julicher.) |
Background
New Zealands
most praised Pinot Noirs come from Martinborough area on the southern tip of
the North Island. The terroir of this area resembles Burgundy with its long
growth season, cool nights and warm, dry days. As a variety, Pinot Noir is
demanding and brutally honest in reflecting the growth conditions. Many new
world winemakers are challenged with heat when it comes to Pinot Noir since
this variety tends to lose its subtle, complex, floral and fruity characteristics
and produce jammy wines when exposed to too much warmth. However, in
Martinborough the vineyards have an advantage of high altitude, which creates a
cooling effect. In addition, Julicher’s vineyards’ soil consists of free-draining alluvial gravel,
which - combined with the low rainfall of the area – create superb conditions
for growing Pinot Noir grapes rich in aromatic compounds.
Finnish
born Outi Jakovirta is the head winemaker of Julicher Estate. She has studied oenology
in the Lincoln University in New Zealand and worked in France, Germany,
Australia and California. Her excellent winemaking skills are widely recognized
and awarded. Amongst her many achievements is Best in Show awarded to Julicher
Pinot Noir 2010 by Sommelier Wine Awards last year.
Julicher Estate
is a small producer committed to sustainable wine production. Being an accredited sustainable winegrowing vineyard
means using organic fertilizers and disease and pest sprays made from natural
ingredients.
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| Pinot Noir made by Outi has been awarded many times. (Image: Julicher) |
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