Te Mata Alma Pinot Noir

First planted in 1999, Alma is the finest expression of Te Mata Estate's commitment to Great New Zealand Pinot Noir. Alma expresses brooding cherry and delicious ripe, dark plum flavours that unfurl with savoury wildwood scents of truffle and spice.

Alma celebrates Dr James Thomson, a hero of the 1854 Battle of the Alma during the Crimean War and forefather to Te Mata Estate’s Buck family. Knowing the vanquished enemy soldiers had already contracted cholera, Dr Thomson volunteered to tend to their wounds, saving the lives of over four hundred, and sacrificing his own in the process. The medal he was awarded for this selfless act of valour appears on the label of Alma Pinot Noir.

Winemaker notes

2019: Saturated, dark crimson, Alma Pinot Noir ’19 has an enticing nose of pomegranate, raspberry and black cherry syrup. Mineral and savoury notes – orange peel, peppercorns and sage – all glide across a serene surface of dark, fine tannin and lush ripe fruit. Alma Pinot Noir ’19 is structural. This is a wine of scope and horizons. Its depths are balanced by a lingering fruit acid tension that gives the wine a balletic level of poise, energy and grace.

2019

Wine Advocate 91: The second vintage bottled, the 2019 Alma Pinot Noir is similar to the debut 2018 in that it's a chunky, sturdily built wine, meant for aging. The jury is still out at this point, but this year seems to have a bit more finesse to it than the 2018. Black cherries pick up hints of cola and herbal notes, the combination coming across a bit like a cherry-flavored root beer in the glass (but dry). Medium-bodied on the palate, the tannins are silky-ripe but plentiful, and the wine ends with a suggestion of grilled or roasted fruit.

James Suckling 92: Red cherries and blueberries with some blackberries also in the mix. The palate has assertive, fresh tannins and red-fruit focus. Crunchy and bright. Drink over the next five years.

2022

Wine Advocate 95: The 2022 Alma Pinot Noir is supple and ripe, with an infusion of silty tannins and black tea. This is a gorgeous wine, totally svelte and structural at once, populated by a saturation of red fruits. There are pomegranate pearls, pink peppercorns, poached strawberry and even a hint of sumac. This is delicious. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

James Suckling 92: Dried and fresh strawberries with cherries and hints of orange peel. Medium body, fine tannins and a firm and silky-textured finish. Hints of sliced oranges. A rather linear pinot. Drink or hold.