The King’s Wrath Wins Champion wine of show

Marisco Vineyards' The King's Wrath Pinot Noir claims the crown at the Marlborough Wine Show.

Every year, the Marlborough Wine Show sees the best of the Marlborough wine region come together for a regional competition ‘dedicated to showcasing excellence, provenance and diversity of Marlborough wines.' This year, Marisco Vineyards are celebrating a big win – in late October, The King’s Wrath Pinot Noir was awarded Classic Oak Products Champion Pinot Noir Current Vintage and then went on to win Champion Wine of the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show!

Several years ago, Owner and Chief Winemaker of Marisco Vineyards, Brent Marris, looked into his ancestry and the scandalous history he discovered led to the creation of The Kings Series, a range of wines that celebrates not only Brent’s ancestry but what makes Marlborough a great wine growing region. 

Brent discovered he had an ancestor - one William de Marisco, who is said to be one of the illegitimate sons of King Henry the First. In the twelfth and thirteenth century, the de Marsico’s inhabited Lundy Island off the south-west coast of England, engaging in a tempestuous relationship with the monarchy of the time. At times receiving favour, and at others displeasure, the de Marsico’s’ acts of piracy and treason defined their place in history.   Each wine in the range talks to a piece of this history.

So, what about The King’s Wrath?

In 1242 William de Marisco was implicated in an assassination attempt on King Henry the Third. Found guilty of high treason, William and 16 of his associates were sentenced to death.  It is said that the King was so displeased with William, he requested a special punishment be devised – that of ‘quartering’. Following his execution, the four parts of his body were sent to the four corners of the Kingdom – as an example of what would happen to those incurring the full vehemence of the King’s Wrath.

Despite this scandalous history, The King’s Wrath Pinot Noir 2021 clearly won the judges tick of approval in Marlborough this year.

Fruit for this wine was hand harvested from selected Marisco vineyards in the Southern Valleys.  The fruit was then chilled and mostly destemmed into small fermenters for a week-long cold soak helping deepen the colour. Fermentation occurred over another week and then pressed to French oak puncheons to mature for 11 months. 

So, what do our winemakers say to expect from The King’s Wrath Pinot Noir 2021 – it is a wine exuding aromas of black Doris plum and cassis, laced with savoury layers of forest floor and spiced oak.  It has a full-bodied palate showcasing a fine-grained tannin structure with underlying crushed blackberry, mocha and white pepper elements. The tannin structure creates an intense finish helping to carry the array of lively Marlborough fruit flavours.

Highly versatile, The King’s Wrath Pinot Noir 2021 matches well to gamey meats, mushrooms as well as rich fish such as tuna or trout. We recommend enjoying this wine with seared eye fillet with smoked mushrooms and a port jus.

Enquire now at marisco.co.nz

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