These are lovely. They are the six different Pinot Noirs released each year by biodynamic Marlborough (New Zealand) winegrower Seresin. I love the wines of Seresin: they’re consistently among the best from this excellent region.

Winemaker Clive Dougall, a British ex-pat, takes a thoughtful approach to Pinot. He’s moving towards a long post-ferment maceration, and doesn’t do any pre-ferment maceration. Overall the Pinots spend 5 weeks on skins, and he says he’s trying to swap fruit for seed  tannins, which helps with the overall polymerization of tannins. He doesn’t use any stems. ‘I tried it and it doesn’t really work,’ he says. ‘I just want to extract the essence of the grapes’.

Seresin Tautou Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
From deep gravel soils at the western end of the Wairau valley, aged in 1 year old French oak for 15 months. Slightly cloudy, but there’s real interest here with some savoury, spicy notes and an interesting textural quality. Fine grained tannins add some grip. Great balance with some spicy warmth, nice texture and real depth and finesse. 94/100

Seresin Leah Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
Wild yeast ferment, 30 d on skins, 11 months French oak of which 25% is new. Very pretty sweet pure red cherry fruit nose with subtle green herb and warm spicy, meaty notes. The palate is fresh and a bit spicy with a savoury twist to the cherry and berry fruits. Real complexity and interest here: a beautiful thought-provoking wine. 93/100

Seresin Rachel Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
9 months in French oak, 35% new. Lovely focused fresh cherry and plum fruit with subtle green herbal notes together with a lively floral character on the nose. Rounded, textured cherry and berry fruit palate with some spicy bite and good acidity. Good presence and elegance here. 94/100

Seresin Raupo Creek Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely fresh, sappy cherry fruit nose. Black cherries, berries and also some spice and subtle tar notes. The palate is juicy and vivid, and a bit meaty. Dominated by sweet cherry fruit and nice structure. There’s a lovely savoury dimension here: fresh and vivid with good acid, and 5–10 years ageing potential. 94/100

Seresin Home Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
From the Wairau Valley, mixed shingle and silty loam soils, 15 months in one third new oak. Ripe, rich, meaty and intense with vivid black cherry fruit, notes of olive and some citrus acidity. Ripe, alluring and quite complex with lovely intensity, yet fresh and vivid at the same time. 93/100

Seresin Sun and Moon Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough, New Zealand
17 months in French oak. Fine, expressive perfumed nose of fresh cherry fruit, with lively spicy notes, as well as subtle greenness. There’s some warm spiciness and hints of cured meat. The palate is textured with fresh cherry and berry fruit, finishing with some spicy grip. Quite powerful and distinctive, with slightly lifted aromatics, and subtle balsamic notes. 94/100

UK agent is Armit www.armitwines.co.uk

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