One Off Red Planet Martinborough Pinot Noir 2016 $35 
Winemaker to the stars, Rod McDonald has had a ‘thing’ for Martinborough pinot noir and finally, he’s managed to get his mitts on a perfect parcel of fruit to play with for his ‘One Off’ series. These are wines that are never repeated and in extremely limited production. Martinborough pinot noir has its own unique style and is often referred to as being out of this world – which is exactly Rod’s take on it. Hence the ‘it could be from outer space – Mars even’ reference on the back label. This ‘Red Planet’ wine has incredible, lifted fruit, buckets of spice and dried tamarillo notes on the nose and palate. There’s a hint of scorched earth, soft oak and wild cherry characters that add complexity to its long, silky finish.
