On the Martinborough Terrace, Moy Hall is one of the most popular stops for visitors to this picturesque wine town – offering lunches and tastings of their wines in what they describe as a “Scottish longhouse set in the vineyard”. Moy Hall produce Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Syrah and a ‘Noble Rot dessert wine’. I was tasting through current releases this week with Nick Hewitt from Beverage Bureau who now distributes the wines, which had previously been rarely seen outside the Cellar Door. The wines look the part, with funky labels that are a mixture of quirky illustrations and bold typography.
Starting with the Jackson Block Riesling 2023 – which had been well-regarded when Martinborough Vineyards were producing a wine from the vineyard. Bone-dry – like an Australian style – with just 10.5% alcohol. Crisp, with green apple, lemon and lime blossom notes that flow through into the palate. There’s a sherbet quality (without the fizz) to the energetic palate. Quite mouth-watering and more-ish, I can see this developing beautifully if hidden away in the cellar for a decade.
A Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is terrific – as is so often the case for this varietal in Martinborough. This one, from 20 year-old vines, has the identifying NZ-varietal nose of gooseberry and passionfruit, but a bit more besides. I get a touch of fruit tannin, a spark of minerality, and a silky texture. It is very dry and has tremendous length on the finish.
Pinot Gris 2023 also has good varietal typicity, with ginger, baking spice, pear, almond and guava flavours. And although it is bone dry and will find favour with people looking for that, I found it lacking body and had a cider-like note on the finish that wasn’t appealing, to me.
Syrah and Pinot Noir grapes go into the Rosé 2023 – that they apparently sell cases of every weekend. And I can see why – it’s a great Rosé, with a lift of lilac and rose petal florals on the nose. Red liquorice, raspberry and pink grapefruit zestiness runs through the palate. Good colour, nicely presented bottle – a winning package.
Terrace Pinot Noir 2022. I talked about varietal typicity in the whites, but this medium-bodied red has bags of regional typicity. Some big flavours packed in, with red fruits dominating, but with that Martinborough earthy signature. Also some decent tannin, which fitted in well with the style and expression.
