Escarpment

Escarpment is a wine estate that was established in 1998 in the New Zealand region of Martinborough. It is known for its powerful and complex Pinot Noir wines, and particularly its flagship wine Kupe, which is widely regarded as a benchmark for that variety in New Zealand. Winemaker Larry McKenna is one of the founding winemakers in Martinborough and has been dubbed "The Prince of Pinot Noir". 

While Pinot Noir is by far the most important variety at Escarpment, the winery makes a core range of other wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The Insight series comprises five single-vineyard wines: four made of Pinot Noir (Kupe, Pahi, Kiwa and Te Rehua) and the Kupe Chardonnay. There is also an entry-level range of wines called The Edge.

The winery and most of the vineyards are situated three miles (5km) east of Martinborough village. There are 24 hectares (59 acres) of vineyards on gravel soils typical of the Martinborough Terrace, a plateau of alluvial gravel that characterizes much of the region's terroir. The Kupe plot covers a small 1.8-ha (4.4-acre) plot on deep, alluvial Te Muna gravels, providing high-quality grapes for its eponymous wines.

The remaining three single-vineyard wines come from vineyards on the outskirts of the village. The 2.5-ha (6-acre) Pahi vineyard was first planted in 1986, and is one of the oldest Pinot Noir vineyards in New Zealand. The 2-ha (5-acre) Kiwa vineyard is nearer the town and is known for producing ripe wines with black fruit and savory notes. Te Rehua is the smallest plot of the four at just 1.1ha (2.7 acres), and is situated on alluvial loams on the edge of the escarpment formed by the Huangarua River.