The 2012 white wines are available for tasting and sale, and interestingly, the bottles are sealed with natural cork rather than screwcap, as Shayne and Poppy prefer the maturation process under that closure. The 2012 Pinot Noir will be released around May. In the meantime, Poppies Martinborough is offering the Martinus Martinborough Pinot Noir 2010 as a stop-gap for visitors.
I had a quick tasting of the wines with Poppy. The Rosé 2012 is properly dry and softly crisp rather than austere, and very attractive for it. 90% of the 950 bottles made have already been sold. The Sauvignon Blanc 2012 is in the cooler spectrum with nettley flavours, and is refreshing and linear. The greatest production is seen in the Pinot Gris 2012, with around 1,600 bottles made. This is very elegant with subtle pear fruit aromas and flavours, enhanced by herb nuances. The Late Harvest Riesling 2012 at 10% alc. and 50 g/L rs is a fine-featured, smooth lime and honey flavoured wine that drinks as a medium style rather than as a sweeter wine. The commonality of the wines is their excellent phenolic handling. All are smooth, refined and seamless, with lovely delicacy. Clearly, this is a hallmark of Poppy’s touch with the wines. No doubt, there will be subtle changes as Shayne becomes more familiar with the vines, and Poppy defines the preferred styles.
