Our allocation of Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 is always limited, and it always sells out. Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 is a library release of Central Otago Pinot Noir, held in Sato's own cellar and released again 10 years after it first came out. Time in bottle has let it develop the layered complexity of mature Pinot Noir. It suits anyone who enjoys aged Pinot Noir, and it is drinking now.
A library release is wine a winery keeps back in its own cellar and releases years later, once it has aged. This one comes directly from the cellars of Sato, 10 years after the first release, and very little of it is available.
It is drinking now, and it is a treat for anyone who enjoys the complexity that Pinot Noir gains with time in the bottle.
The wine is named for the dry terraces of the Pisa Range in Central Otago. Jancis Robinson MW's New Zealand vintage guide notes that Central Otago enjoyed plenty of ripeness in its Pinot Noir in 2015.
Food to enjoy this with
An older Pinot Noir like this is best enjoyed with great food. Good matches include:
- Wild mushroom and truffle risotto
- Roast duck
- Venison loin with a red wine jus
- A rich game pie
- Aged Comté
- Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary
Who makes it
Sato is the work of Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato. They met in 1998 while working for a Japanese bank in Tokyo, and spent more than 10 years in banking in Tokyo and London. In 2006 they moved to New Zealand to study viticulture and winemaking at Lincoln University. Both started their wine careers at Felton Road under Blair Walter. Yoshi went on to make wine at Mount Edward from 2009. That was also the year of the first Sato wine: 190 cases of Pinot Noir. Kyoko spent 12 years at Felton Road before joining Sato full-time in 2018.
Their training also took them to natural and biodynamic producers in Europe, including Jean-Pierre Frick in Alsace, Jean-Yves Bizot and Domaine Matassa. At Sato every fermentation runs on wild yeast. No sulphur is added during winemaking, and only a trace (10 to 15 parts per million) goes in just before bottling. About 60% of the wine comes from their own vineyard. The rest comes from organically farmed vineyards in Bannockburn and Bendigo. Until their own winery was finished in 2019, the Satos made their wines at other wineries, including Rockburn in Cromwell.
When to drink it
Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 is drinking now, with 10 years of bottle age since its first release.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Sato Wines |
| Wine: |
Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir (Library Release) |
| Vintage: |
2015 |
| Variety: |
Pinot Noir |
| Region: |
Central Otago |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 (Library Release) is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores (7–9 Ballarat Street, Queenstown and 27 Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown), alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 ready to drink?
Yes. Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 has 10 years of bottle age since its first release and is drinking now.
What is a library release?
A library release is wine that a winery keeps back in its own cellar and releases later with bottle age. Sato's Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 comes straight from Sato's cellars.
How was the 2015 vintage in Central Otago?
Jancis Robinson MW's New Zealand vintage guide says Central Otago enjoyed plenty of ripeness in its Pinot Noir in 2015.
Who makes Sato wines?
Sato is run by Yoshiaki (Yoshi) and Kyoko Sato, who left banking in Tokyo and London, moved to New Zealand in 2006 and trained at Felton Road before making their first Sato wine in 2009.
Where can I buy Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 (Library Release)?
The Winery ships Sato Pisa Terrace Pinot Noir 2015 (Library Release) internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, at 7–9 Ballarat Street, Queenstown and 27 Ramshaw Lane, Arrowtown.
