Estate Pinot Noir, Two Paddocks 2019

Modern and toasty with some reductive edges to the ripe red cherries and blackberries. Big, spicy energy. Herbal notes, too. The palate has a fresh and tangy feel with a sappy, ripe and stony red-cherry and plum-stone texture. Intense. So fresh and juicy. Crisp tannins to close. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Bright, mid-ruby hue. Gorgeously perfumed, open, forward and floral on the nose. Wild strawberry fruit with an enticing whiff of Cuban tobacco. On the palate the wine is simultaneously succulent but fresh with a clean acidity cutting through the core. Rounded, generous, fleshy and luxuriant while remaining clean and light on its feet. Attractive spicy notes add complexity. 2019 is proving to be a very exciting vintage in Central Otago and this wine is a paragon of the potential here. Ready to drink now but with plenty of scope to evolve further with some bottle age. It’s hard to think of any red Burgundy which could touch this for quality at this price level.