 2009 Held over for an extra 8 months in combination of old oak and stainless steel, this fresh young Pinot is eager to begin its bottle maturation journey. A lovely season with a warm and extremely dry tail produced grapes with very even ripeness, higher than normal sugars and wines which stand tall, dark and handsome. The star-bright garnet hue glows from the depths of the wine like the aurora australis. Cooked black-forest cherries emanate from the glass along with soft peony rose and moreish caramelised molasses aromas. Snapped cinnamon stick, strong bracken fern and bramble notes, sautéed mushroom and shiny wet river stones vie with a Barristers wig horse made from hair and hints of cut throat razor strop, both of the kind which instilled fear into children of a generation gone by. The complex components finally triumph as the nose closes intriguingly with crosscut macrocarpa and a little spit-rubbed boot polish. The palate steps up with an airy approachability and a soft heart of candied sweet fruit peeping out from behind the cat’s-eye smooth texture. The slight dustiness of fine young tannins and a cracked black pepper character combine with the ruffle of cherry brandy to tilt the flavour pitch more vertical to something more closely resembling a lowered, aspirated and somewhat noisy street racer. What it lacks in elegance it makes up for in brutish masculine charm and ostentatious bravado complete with five o’clock shadow, spiked hairdo and a confident swagger. I usually refrain from food matching but as I sip, I can almost taste a wild mushroom risotto eaten from the knees around the fire in a snow bound ski lodge…
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Our Pinot Noir is best served slightly above cellar temperature i.e. 16 – 18 degree’s Celsius. Younger or older wines may benefit from decanting to allow them a breath of fresh air. |
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