• French oak
• Plum & cherry
• Vanilla bean curd
• Juicy acidity

"A magnificent offering; the richly expressed bouquet shows Black Doris plum, sweet cherry, assorted nut, game and dried mushroom aromas, leading to a concentrated palate offering excellent depth and plush texture. It's multi-layered with enticing complexity, combined with beautifully melded tannins, finishing superbly long and sensually appealing. At its best: now to 2036" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Aug 2024

Deep garnet, purple hue. Freshly picked, super ripe dense dark fleshed cherries and plums, vanilla bean curd, sandalwood and Asian spice explode from the glass. When selecting the barrels for this wine, density and weight are the key. The famous Te Muna Abel clone acidity provides juiciness, while the density of the field blend adds the weight and power to this wine.

Inspired by the Butterworth’s potent blend of winemaking and sailing heritage, the J Class Collection was conceived: an ‘icon range’ representing the absolute pinnacle of wines, crafted solely in the most exceptional years from the family’s Te Muna Vineyard. Brad Butterworth noted “Reflecting on the exceptional 2021 vintage, we are proud to introduce the second release in our esteemed J-Class series. This Pinot Noir epitomises the fusion of optimal vineyard conditions and meticulous winemaking. The harmonious blend of perfect weather, diligent effort, and sound decision-making has culminated in a wine of both strength and elegance.” Winemaker Martin Bell adds, “This Tactician Pinot Noir is a homage to Brad. His passion drove meticulous attention to detail, both in the vineyard and the winery, culminating in this exquisite wine.

The soils of Te Muna Terraces are free-draining alluvial gravel, which are rich in minerals making it ideal for growing grapes. The climate is an extension of Martinborough and similar to Burgundy, being only slightly cooler due to higher altitude, but with long summers and low rainfall providing the optimum long ripening conditions for grapes.

2021 was a year of two halves; a massive frost decimated half of the Butterworth Te Muna Ranger Block, followed by one of the most stunning summers with wonderful diurnal temperature variation. The hand harvested fruit was sourced from the Abel clone and a field blend of the frost decimated Clones of 777, 115, 114, UCD 6 and 667 in our premium Ranger block, on the edge of a 35m high Escarpment.

The fruit was placed into 2.2-ton fermenters, and hand plunged once daily, with a maximum ferment temperature of 32°C. The wine spent 20 days on skins, before being drained and pressed to oak barrels with a proprietary press cut system. The wine spent 18 months in oak, before the first racking. No fining agents were added, and the wine was bottled without filtration after a second rack off super fine lees.