Blank Canvas Uptown Downs Pinot Noir

He started off with a blank canvas, he ended up with a near bloody masterpiece.

Matt Thomson is the winemaker, you probably best know him from his days at Saint Clair, and after making wine across every corner of the globe he decided to do his own thing. Taking his years of experience and know-how and making a fresh start with his own gig, using his own cash, making wine on his terms.

Matt’s left himself big boots to follow with recent releases getting rave reviews. The 2014 was Jancis Robinson’s “best Marlborough Pinot I have tasted” and 2015 was 97/100 Bob Campbell and his No.1 Marlborough Pinot from that vintage.

But it’s another stroke of brilliance and yet again show casing how damn good Marlborough Pinot can be. Scoring a super high 95/100 from Bob Campbell, Bob called it “An appealing and distinctive wine that successfully balances fruit sweetness against a sinewy texture. Approachable now but should age very well.”

Produced from a single vineyard site on Uptown Downs Road in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, using a Burgundian clone of fruit and made in a style Matt calls “blockbuster, perfumed aromatics in an elegant but serious Pinot Noir framework.” Only 341 six pack cases were made of this one and as with previous vintages there’s strong demand overseas – grab a six pack and tuck it away in your cellar until 2026.